The Peabody Orlando, famous for its five marching mallard ducks, is conducting a national search for a new Duck Master — only one of three such jobs in the world.
The tradition of the famous Peabody Marching Ducks began in 1932, when Frank Schutt, general manager of The Peabody Memphis, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned empty-handed from a weekend hunting trip. As a prank the two put their live duck decoys (which were legal at the time) in the fountain in the hotel’s Grand Lobby.
The new Duck Master should be named in time for the grand opening of the hotel’s $450 million expansion in late September.
“The reaction from hotel guests was nothing short of enthusiastic. Since then, every day at 11 a.m., the ducks are led by the Duck Master down the elevator from their ‘Duck Palace’ on the roof to the marble fountain in The Peabody Grand Lobby,” the hotel says.
The ceremony is reversed at 5 p.m., when the ducks march back down the red carpet through crowds of spectators to retire for the evening.
What kind of job requirements are there?
“We’re looking for a captivating and talented individual with a love for animals and passion for working with people,” said Alan Villaverde, managing director of The Peabody Orlando.
By David Wilkening
