Six tiny ducklings rescued from weir by firefighters
Six adorable ducklings have been rescued from a weir in Mid Wales in a rescue operation which took nearly four hours.
The young ducklings had become trapped after their mother had chosen a rather awkward place to have her babies - a small enclosed pond area fed by the canal in Brecon town centre.
The difficult location meant that the ducklings had then swam through a sluice gate and then become trapped under a 18-foot-long grated funnel that fed into the river.
The trapped ducklings were spotted by a member of the public who reported the matter to the RSPCA.
RSPCA inspector Holly Brown said: “It was a very tricky job getting the little guys out from under the grating. They weren’t able to join the mother duck after they had got separated so they were found alone."
After several attempts to use a pole and nets to catch them Holly called Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service for assistance.
“It took the help of firefighters from Brecon Fire and Rescue Station and several hours to free the six adorable but uncooperative ducklings who were not very grateful to be rescued.
“The crew had to lift the heavy metal grates and then we had to persuade the ducklings to swim a certain way before catching them in nets. But they kept swimming away so it took a long time to get each one."
“The ducklings have been placed in the temporary care of a wildlife officer before being transferred to a wildlife centre where they will be reared by the dedicated staff until they are ready to be returned to the wild.”
Holly said she’d like to thank Brecon Fire and Rescue Station for their help.
