Animal advocates say a hunter killed a rare Mandarin duck that had many flocking to the North Shore to catch a glance.

News 12 first reported about the rare duck earlier this month.

The duck wasn't native to Long Island, so many people came to Stony Brook to see it.

Humane Long Island said it had hoped to rescue the duck, which it says had been abandoned.

"It's very disheartening because there was a whole group of people ready, spending their days, spending their nights out here trying to save this duck's life," said John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation told News 12 in a statement, "There is currently no evidence indicating illegal hunting in this matter. A free-roaming Mandarin duck in New York state would be considered a wild duck according to DEC hunting regulations."