Rescued

[JaySteel]

Hi everyone. I thought I'd share today's wildlife encounter with you all. Over the last 21 years we've had all sorts of wildlife come wandering into our office where I work. This includes foxes, toads, lizards, newts, mice, rats, pigeons, a kingfisher, and today we had the pleasure of being visited by a tiny little duckling.
This baby mallard duck was wandering around under the vans in our office and amazingly it managed to avoid being run over. I was soon called to catch the duckling which I did with a cardboard box. We placed the box outside in the hope that a parent duck would come looking for the abandoned duckling but it never showed up. Eventually I decided that the duck would have to go to a rescue centre. It was far too young to risk leaving outside on its own. And I have absolutely no idea how it came to end up near my office. I have never seen any ducks near here.
After taking it home and making some phone calls I was very disappointed at the lack of interest I received from various charitable organisations. It seems that if you're a duck then you're just not very high on the priority list for most rescue centres with limited funds. This really saddened me. Anyone who saw this beautiful little creature would have their heart melted by it. It really was one of the cutest little bundles of feathers that I've ever seen.
Thankfully I did find a rescue centre that was only half an hour away from me and they were happy to take on my duckling. This place is funded entirely by donations and they take on many of the poorest of animals that no one else cares about. After dropping off the duckling to the centre I was able to drive away happily knowing that there are still people out there who care about these creatures and who try to run their animal welfare shelters like a charity.

My thanks goes to:

The Retreat Animal Rescue
Daltons Road
Crockenhill
Swanley
Kent
BR8 8EN
01322 614247 / 07720 495238


Here's a quick shot of the duckling in my living room:






Best regards,
Jason



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[Doggle Avaddit]

Originally Posted by JaySteel

Hi everyone.
This really saddened me. Anyone who saw this beautiful little creature would have their heart melted by it. It really was one of the cutest little bundles of feathers that I've ever seen.


.

Funny how humans are driven by this desire to help "cute" things, yet aren't so bothered about the not so cute creatures they deprive of this valuable food source.

[JaySteel]

The chances are that if left to its own devices this duckling would most likely have been killed by one of the many cats that patrol our car park. And these cats can go home and eat their 'Felix' or 'Whiskers'. And my interference with nature has nothing at all to do with not caring about the less cute and fluffy of our wildlife. But thanks for your kind and encouraging comments. I don't know why I didn't expect this kind of response from one of the many contentious people that frequent this site!

Jason

[Littlesparrow]

What a lovely little ducking Jason, I hope he makes it now hes in good hands.

[shadowx]

Im all for not interfering but there's a difference when a predator has actually made a kill or is chasing it's prey etc... as opposed to a baby animal that gets lost and ends up dodging tyres, drain holes and cats.

But, I will be ringing all the rescue centers nearby and tell them to close down for the good of scavengers who would have eaten the squished duckling after it became a road statistic.

Sorry to be so blunt but you give and you get, you did the right thing IMHO Jason

[Farplace]

I have heard of The Retreat. Heard nothing but good about them. I am glad they were able to take your duckling. For anyone in the North East, we would have been happy to help as well.

[Pigeon feather]

That duckling was very lucky to find you Jason, good job! well done

[Doggle Avaddit]

Originally Posted by JaySteel

The chances are that if left to its own devices this duckling would most likely have been killed by one of the many cats that patrol our car park. And these cats can go home and eat their 'Felix' or 'Whiskers'. And my interference with nature has nothing at all to do with not caring about the less cute and fluffy of our wildlife. But thanks for your kind and encouraging comments. I don't know why I didn't expect this kind of response from one of the many contentious people that frequent this site!

Jason

Jason, your whole post was centred upon this creature being "cute" and therfore worth "rescuing". Would you have done this for a lost rat?


I'm just trying to point out the illogical human behaviour that arbitrarily decides that one creature has more worth than another simply because we find it "cute".

[Littlesparrow]

I rescued a sheep once, it was very smelly and upside down in a hole and not that cute.

[werdnal]

Originally Posted by Doggle Avaddit

Jason, your whole post was centred upon this creature being "cute" and therfore worth "rescuing". Would you have done this for a lost rat?


I'm just trying to point out the illogical human behaviour that arbitrarily decides that one creature has more worth than another simply because we find it "cute".

I can't speak for others here, but had I seen a lost baby rat in a similar circumstance to the duckling, I would not have stood idley by to watch it get run over in a busy car park. However, I do tend to think that by design, rats are far more "streetwise" from an early age, by comparison a helpless duckling does not have the inherant survival instinct, therefore warrants a helping hand.

IMO ALL living creatures deserve a chance!