Trevor of Niue: The World's Lonliest Duck. Photo / Supplied, Facebook
Trevor of Niue: The World's Lonliest Duck. Photo / Supplied, Facebook
The story of one lonely duck from the Pacific island of Niue has captured the imaginations from readers around the world.
When news of Trevor the Duck's tragic demise was picked up by the Herald on Saturday, the widespread grief was to be expected.
What wasn't expectedwas the wave of sympathy and tributes which flew in from publications around the world.
In the US, the Washington Post ran with the story "Pacific island mourns death of the 'world's loneliest duck'." The American newspaper was saddened to hear that the Trevor had been taken from his "muddy puddle on the side of a dirt road", which the duck had come to know as home.
London: Clipping from The Evening Standard's obituary for Trevor. Photo / Supplied
As far afield as London, commuters were brought the news on their journey home in the Monday edition of The Evening Standard under the headline "Trevor, Only Duck on Pacific Island, Dies in Dog Attack."
The tragic news was announced via the duck's Facebook page in a post that "confirmed reports" saying Trevor had been found "dead in the bush after being attacked by dogs".
Trevor – named after Parliamentary speaker Trevor Mallard – earned his sad sobriquet "the world's loneliest duck" in an article by the Herald's Claire Trevett.
What a sad way for the journey of Trevor the Duck - Niue to end. He flew/blew to Niue in a storm about a year ago,...
While the country is self-governing, it works in free association with New Zealand, which carries out most - but not all - diplomatic relations on its behalf. Niueans are also citizens of New Zealand and the island uses New Zealand Dollar as an official currency.
Niue's coral cliffs make the island stand out from the Pacific's other beachy destinations. Photo / Getty Images
Its coral cliffs make the island stand out from the Pacific's other beachy destinations.
These caves and cliff formations have earned Niue the nickname "The Rock" amongst locals and tourist admirers from around the world.
Last year the Pacific atoll was listed by the UN's World Tourism Organisation as the seventh fastest growing destination in the world.
At 25.4 per cent rise year on year in visitors – the tiny island of just 1611 residents has found itself in the spotlight of global tourism.
While it is a dark moment for natural diversity on the island nation, there may be a silver lining to this tragic incident.
The demise of Trevor has spiked online search interest in the island.
Google trends for the United States show a leap in new found interest for the island from American audiences, turning to the internet for answers to questions such as "where is Niue?"
Where is Niue? A huge spike in the search interest for the Geographical location of Niue. Photo / Supplied
However, amid rising international sympathy, it is the islanders themselves who have felt this loss the greatest.
"Taken too soon by a dog. Rest in Peace Trevor - you were a very cool duck!" wrote Rae Finlay, chief executive of Niue's Chamber of Commerce in a Facebook tribute.
