Scottish SPCA rescue 12 duckings and mother from third floor balcony

The Scottish SPCA was recently called to rescue 12 ducklings
and their mother from a third floor balcony in Edinburgh.

Scotland’s animal welfare charity was alerted to the birds
on 28 April by a member of the public who hadn’t noticed the duck was nesting
on their balcony until the babies hatched.

The rescue comes off the back of the launch of the Scottish SPCA’s #WildlifeWise campaign which educates the public on when to leave baby animals alone in the wild and when to phone its animal helpline.

Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer Aileen Maybury said,
“Ducks do often nest on balconies and other high places and normally we’d leave
them to make their own way down.

“When my colleague, animal rescue officer Darren Malcolm,
and I arrived, all of the birds had managed to make their way down to ground level
and were hiding under the bins.

“However, as one duckling had already been injured in the
descent, and there was no clear route to a safe waterway for the others we
decided to give them a helping hand.

“Thankfully, I was able to safely contain the mother and the
uninjured babies and release them safely nearby.

“The injured duckling has been taken to our National
Wildlife Rescue Centre at Fishcross where it is receiving the care it needs.”

The Scottish SPCA campaign #WildlifeWise aims to keep baby
animals with their parents. The parents of fledglings are often nearby and
still caring for them, even if the bird is on the ground. The Society is asking
that people monitor baby birds, or call their animal helpline if they’re unsure
if a bird needs help, to avoid creating an orphan.

The Scottish SPCA animal helpline is open from 7am-9pm every
day and can be reached on 03000 999 999. To find out more, about the campaign
visit www.scottishspca.org/wildlifewise