Ducklings fight for survival

It was only the quick action of a passer by that saved two little ducklings this weekend.  The ducklings had fallen into a drain with fast moving water, there was nowhere for them to rest and they were paddling furiously to keep afloat and stop themselves being washing into the outlet.  There were no signs of the parents or any other ducklings.   They were quickly scooped out and brought in to us.

The little mallards were tired and cold (in spite of the weather) when they arrived.  It was straight into a heated pen to begin with, they loved the warmth and huddled under the brooder, which is a raised heating element we use for chicks, baby birds and any small creature that is chilled. .  A few hours later and it was a different story, they were coming out and looking for food.   A quick swim in a tray of water and they were back to normal.

They are wild ducks so we’ll be returning them to their natural environment and in a safe place when they are bigger.   They haven’t been pinioned so they will have a good chance of survival.  How do we know they haven’t been pinioned?   They were out of their pen, fluttering to the floor and saying hello to Peaches (our oldest resident cat) within hours.  Yes, they can fly.

(Pinioning ducklings is when the tips of the wings of captive baby birds is broken in order to stop them flying away.  We have three more ducks in the sanctuary – looking for good homes by the way, and they have all been pinioned.  It’s very cruel.)