60 ‘sitting ducks’ rescued from M25 near Hemel Hempstead
The RSPCA, Hertfordshire Police and highways officers work together to round-up and rescue huge group of ducks stranded on busy motorway
An RSPCA officer spent more than two hours running around the M25 rounding up around 60 ducks who had strayed onto the UK’s busiest motorway.
RSPCA animal collection officer Kate Wright was on the way to an injured pheasant on Sunday, July 12, when she was called by the charity’s control centre to divert her to a duck and her ducklings stranded on the M25 just before junction 18 anticlockwise near Hemel Hempstead.
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 is not known how the young ducks managed to stray onto the road or where they came from but most could not fly so were unable to 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.
"The birds were all released onto the water at sunset and were happy to be somewhere safe.
“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.”
The RSPCA is appealing for the public's support to help keep rescuing animals like this and keep the animal hospitals and centres running for emergency treatment and round the clock care through these unprecedented times, to make a donation visit: www.rspca.org.uk/covid.