Make that adorable and lightning-fast ducks.

While Japan isn’t nearly as expensive as some guidebooks make it out to be, it is true that certain foodstuffs are pricier here than they are in other countries. That means some things that I might have considered a staple when I was living in the States, like thick cuts of meat, become more of a special-occasion ingredient, And for things that are still staples, like rice, I always try to buy them when the grocery store is having a sale.

But watermelon is an exception to my thrifty shopping. Yes, fresh fruit is often premium priced in Japan, but I don’t care. I need watermelon like cars need gas or computers need electricity. It’s one of my core life fuels, and I love it so much that I’ve been known to take commemorative photographs when I open the fridge to discover that my wife has placed a plate of crimson slices inside to chill.

And yet, even I’m not sure I love watermelon as much as these guys.

Japanese Twitter user @Kamo_centime is the happy owner of two cats and a parakeet, but the stars of the social media account are ducks Teke and Chiha, who @Kamo_centime has cared for since they hatched a year and nine months ago. With summer here, @Kamo_centime felt the time was right to give the pair a half watermelon as a snack, and they devoured it with gusto, with enough smacking and splashing of juice to almost make you forget that ducks don’t have lips. Their beaks are working so quickly that it almost looks like the film has been sped up, but the ripples on the water of their pool, visible in the top right corner of the video, show that their blinding watermelon-eating speed is genuine.

▼ Teke and Chiha getting in some exercise, presumably to work off some of those watermelon calories.

With our shared love of watermelon, I can honestly say I’ve never felt as much kindred with ducks as I do with these two. Then again, with Japan’s penchant for experimenting with making animals more delicious by feeding them other delicious foods, I can’t help but wonder, just a bit, how watermelon-raised duck would taste.

Source: Twitter/@Kamo_centime via IT Media
Images: @Kamo_centime