THREE ducks that were spotted being taken from a Basingstoke pond were being rescued by a wildlife organisation. 

A member of the public posted concerns on social media after spotting the three ducks being put into a cage at Eastrop Park on August 10 at around 8.30pm.

Greenman Wildlife Care, in North Waltham, has now confirmed the ducks were in fact being rescued because they were domestic and had been dumped there.

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Rita Denham, who runs the not-for-profit organisation, said: “They are domestic birds so they couldn’t fly. They can’t get out of the way if someone tries to hurt them.

“Someone has obviously dumped them there. They probably got the birds when they were small ducklings and now they want their gardens back.”

A volunteer for Greenman Wildlife Care collected the birds and has taken them home to look after them.

Rita, who takes in wildlife from across the town and borough, said: “Someone thought she was stealing them but she was doing them a favour because they are domestic ducks. No one has claimed them and they will probably never be claimed. It’s very sad.

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"They have been fed from being tiny by a human and they were dumped there and wouldn’t have been getting regular food. They will just walk up to people. It’s sad but it happens quite a lot.”

She said someone from the council had reported the birds to Greenman Wildlife Care.

Rita said if the birds were left at Eastrop they would have struggled to find food and eventually died of starvation or been killed by one of the wild mallard ducks at the park.

“The mallards can be really aggressive,” she said, adding: “They would be an easy target to be picked off or someone taking them home for dinner. They are domestic ducks so they are classed as table ducks and get eaten on a regular basis.

“People get the ducklings and think they are cute as pets but they make a mess. They probably bought the ducklings last year. It’s sad that someone has dumped them. If they only got in touch with someone or put them in a box in front of a vets. It’s a shame that they thought they were cute and don’t want them now.”

Rita urged anyone considering buying a duckling as a pet to do their research, saying: “Look into what they will do to your garden because they do poo and they poo an awful lot. People don’t like them quacking. They can’t be kept down the side of someone’s house, they need space and ideally, they need a pond. It’s nice for them to have water because they need to keep their feathers clean.”