With such a rich variety of wildlife using the Commons, occasions may arise when extra care is required to ensure the safety of certain animals in need.

On Wednesday 9th June, the Rangers Office was contacted by a local resident who had managed to round up six Mallard ducklings they had found wandering the grounds of Highlands Heath.

The vulnerability of the six ducklings to predation was plain to see and after an unsuccessful search for the parent birds, the ducklings were brought to the Rangers Office.

Without the protection of their mother, one of the greatest dangers faced by any young bird is the ability to maintain their body heat.

Therefore, on arrival at the Rangers Office, staff ensured the ducklings were placed underneath a heat lamp and given access to clean water and food.

Unfortunately, it soon became evident that one of the ducklings was beginning to show signs of distress and gradually it began to lose much of its strength.

The good news however is that after one hour of being carefully wrapped in a towel and placed on a hot water bottle, the ailing duckling soon regained full strength and was able to re join its siblings.



















The six ducklings are now being cared for by the team at the Riverside Animal Centre and should be released on the Commons once they have grown strong enough to look after themselves.