Man finds gold particles worth Rs 1.6 lakh inside duck’s stomach, family calls it sign of good luck

China villager finds gold pieces inside duck's stomach. (AI-generated representative image)

It is not every day that a routine task in a rural kitchen leads to a discovery worth nearly Rs 1.6 lakh. For one villager in central China, however, that is precisely what happened.

A man found small gold particles inside the stomach of a duck he had slaughtered. The unexpected find quickly caught attention after it was estimated to be worth around Rs 1.6 lakh.

The incident reportedly took place in February in Longhui County in Hunan province, according to the South China Morning Post. The villager, identified by the surname Liu, said he noticed several small particles while cleaning the duck after slaughtering it. Curious about the unusual pieces, Liu carried out a burning test at home to check what they were. The particles were later confirmed to be genuine gold.

Mainland media outlet Xinwenfang reported that the pieces weighed about 10 grams in total. Their estimated value was around 12,000 yuan, which is nearly Rs 1.6 lakh. Liu’s father considered the discovery a sign of good luck for the coming year.

Liu believes the duck may have swallowed the gold while feeding near a river close to the village. His family keeps the ducks in a free-range system, which allows the birds to roam freely and look for food on their own.

Report suggests that it is not unusual for ducks and other birds to swallow small stones, sand or grit while feeding. These materials help birds grind food in their digestive system. The body cannot digest or absorb gold. In most cases, it simply passes through the digestive system without causing harm. However, larger or impure gold pieces could still cause issues such as intestinal blockages or poisoning in both animals and humans if they become trapped in the digestive tract.

The ducks usually feed along the muddy banks of the nearby river, searching through soil and mud for insects and small plants. While doing so, the bird may have accidentally swallowed the gold particles along with other tiny materials.

The river in the area has a history linked to gold mining, which could explain how small pieces of the metal ended up in the environment. The Chenshui River, which runs from north to south through Longhui County, was once known as a place where gold could be found.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the river attracted people searching for gold. Many villagers washed sand from the riverbanks to collect small gold particles. However, the government later banned private gold mining in the area.

Liu said his discovery is not rare but not entirely unheard of in the area. He added that other villagers had previously found gold particles in ducks, although none had discovered as much as he did.

The story later gained attention on Chinese social media, where some netizens questioned the authenticity of the incident. The Longhui County Natural Resources Bureau told Jiupai News that further verification by a professional institution is needed to confirm whether the particles are gold.

Staff explained that such discoveries are possible, noting that villagers found more than 10g of gold while washing sand by the same river last year. Authorities told The Paper that determining the ownership of the gold found in the duck is difficult.