Ducks, says Jason Sensat, are creatures of habit. So it takes them only a few days to get accustomed to roosting atop the Memphis skyline, flying via elevator, waddling on a red carpet and swimming away their days at the center of the posh Peabody Hotel lobby.
Most people who’ve been to Memphis know about the ducks, but not everyone knows there’s a duckmaster — a trademarked title that Sensat has held for just over two years.
“There aren’t a lot of ‘duckology’ courses to take,” says Sensat, who previously worked in human resources. “But it really isn’t that different from training associates!”
Sensat also knows something else visitors might not. Every three months, he starts over with a new flock of North American mallards — four hens and a drake. The ratio is always the same, since two drakes might get territorial, he explains. And hens pair up, so an uneven number would leave one female the odd duck out.
As for training, Sensat says all he really does is show the ducks the routine. Shortly before 11 a.m., he encourages them to leave their rooftop “duck palace” — an overnight enclosure with granite floors, ceiling fans and perhaps the best view of downtown Memphis anywhere.
“We like it because it’s open air — the two ends are open to the natural breezes — and because the long side is all glass, so you can get a spectacular view of the ducks and great pictures,” Sensat says.
The duckmaster doesn’t lead the way to the elevator — and neither does the male duck.
“Usually the drake will kind of stay to the back to watch over things,” Sensat says. “And the females take turns leading. They’re very teamwork oriented.”
When they arrive in the hotel lobby, the ducks make their way
along a red carpet, through the crowds of admirers, to a travertine marble fountain, where they swim, nap and eat ground corn until the whole march is reversed at 5 p.m.
How the ducks came to roost at the hotel is a story that dates back to 1933. Frank Schutt, general manager of the Peabody, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas filled with enthusiasm and a little too much Jack Daniel’s. As the tale goes, they thought it would funny to put their live decoy ducks (which were legal then) in the lobby fountain — and guests loved it. A tradition was born.
In 1940, bellman Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer, became the first “duckmaster,” guiding the ducks on their daily walk-about until his retirement in 1991.
It’s the tradition that Sensat finds so charming.
“It’s not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things,” he says, “but because it’s so simple, so many people love it. And we need to hold on to those traditions, even the smallest ones.
“So many things have been overtaken by technology, our lives are so much more busy, it’s great to see people come in and be able to just relax,” he adds. “When you’re standing there waiting for a bunch of ducks, it makes you forget about everything else that’s out there.”
Other family friendly stops in Memphis include:
◗ My Big Backyard: “Every child deserves to spend time with nature in an imaginative, safe environment,” says Jana Gilbertson, director of marketing and public relations for the Memphis Botanic Garden. “My Big Backyard is the perfect place to reconnect with nature.
“With spaces catering to toddlers, children with special needs, water features and more, there's something for everyone, especially visitors who are kids at heart.”
Admission to My Big Backyard is part of the regular garden
admission: $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children 3 to 12. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at 750 Cherry Road in Audubon Park in east Memphis. Information: 901-636-4100 or www. memphisbotanicgarden.com.
◗ Memphis Zoo: If there are stars among the 3,500 animals that call the Memphis Zoo home, they must be Ya Ya and Le Le.
In April 2003, in celebration of its 97th birthday that month, the Memphis Zoo became one of only four U.S. zoos to exhibit the endangered giant pandas.
The “China” exhibit was also the zoo’s first to be built as “zoogeographical,” the Web site boasts. That means the buildings, plant life — even the sounds — of China are represented in the $16 million exhibit. But the zoo, at 2000 Prentiss
Place, is also home to aardvarks, bonobos from the African Congo, cougars, ducks, elephants, flamingos, grizzlies, hippos, jaguars, Komodo dragons, lowland gorillas, macaques, Nile soft-shelled turtles, ostriches, penguins, ravens, sea lions, timber wolves, vampire bats, warthogs and zebras, all at home on 55 acres in Overton Park.
Since the early 1990s, the Memphis Zoo has invested over $80 million for renovation and expansion, and in 2008, it was
ranked the No. 1 zoo in the United States by TripAdvisor. com.
The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is $13 for adults, $8 for children ages 2 to 12 and $12 for seniors. Information: 901-333-6500 or www. memphiszoo.org.
◗ Children’s Museum: Unveiled in 1990, the Children’s Museum of Memphis lets youngsters — of all ages! — practice landing a plane in the flight simulator, splash in the Mississippi River, paint and sculpt in the art studio, drive a real fire engine, climb a skyscraper, talk
to Grandma Willow in the tree house and more — all part of the museum’s mission to “create memorable learning experiences through ... hands-on exhibits and programs.”
There’s also a special toddler neighborhood, Playscape Park, a cafe and a museum store, and educational programs are offered daily.
Located at 2525 Central Ave., the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $10 for all ages. Information: 901-458-2678 or www.cmom.com.