About 60 sitting ducks have been rescued on busy M25 motorway.
On July 12, RSPCA, police and highways officers worked together to round-up and rescue a huge group of ducks stranded just before junction 18.
RSPCA animal collection officer Kate Wright was on the way to rescue an injured pheasant when she was called by the charity’s control centre to divert her to a duck and her ducklings stranded on the M25.
Kate said: “The Highways Agency called us and asked for our help. I expected to arrive to find a mother duck and a brood of ducklings – but when I got to the scene there were dozens and dozens of ducks everywhere.
“The highways officers and Hertfordshire Police closed the road so we could round the ducks up and corral them into carriers.
“Sadly, some birds had been hit and killed on the road before the highways officers arrived. But we were able to round up around 60 of them.”
It’s not known how the ducks managed to stray onto the road or where they came from but most couldn’t fly so they couldn’t safely escape.
Kate added: “It was insane. There were ducks everywhere and, because they couldn’t fly, they were quite literally sitting ducks.
“I filled up every kennel, cage, box and other receptacle in my van with ducks. But there wasn’t enough space so I had to do two runs.
“I was sprinting down the fast lane, weaving between the halted traffic with a net trying to catch the stragglers. It was crazy.
“I even had a police escort to Rickmansworth Aquadrome as I couldn’t manage all the birds myself so they came to help unload them all and release them onto the water.
“It was so lovely to release them at such a beautiful spot at sunset. They were splashing around and paddling off into the sunset – it was so rewarding.”
To help the RSPCA keep rescuing animals like this, please donate whatever you can spare at www.rspca.org.uk/covid
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