The Duck and the Fox

A duck paddles at the exact center of a circular pond of radius R R . A fox prowls the shoreline, running 4 4 times the duck's paddling speed, always racing along the rim toward the shore point nearest the duck. The duck cannot take off from water, but the instant it touches dry land it flies away — provided the fox is not standing at that spot. Can the duck always escape, and with what strategy?

Answer

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