We are now OPEN every day throughout the summer holidays, 10am to 4pm (last entry 3pm)
We are currently experiencing very high temperatures at the sanctuary and putting all of our efforts into keeping our residents cool and comdortable.
Thank you for understanding while we take this time out to focus entirely on them.
Ducks & Geese
We have several groups of rescued ducks, as well as many free-ranging wild mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) using our different pools and habitats here. Many of these mallards were taken in as orphaned ducklings and released on-site.
We have a range of flightless, non-native types as well such as our Pekins, Alyesburys, Indian Runners, and other mixes. Most of these were pets that could no longer be kept by their owners and have instead found a forever home here with us.
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Nigel
Nigel has been with us for as long as we can remember. He was originally part of a large group, but over time it is just him now remaining. Thankfully he gets on very well with one of our groups of ducks and has become a sort of guardian to them! He even cuddles up with them in the winter sometimes and sunbathes with them in the summer.
He is a very noisy boy and can be heard calling loudly at feeding time. Unlike the ducks, his main diet is grass, so he will sometimes fly out of his enclosure into one of the paddocks nearby and graze with the animals in them - we frequently find him with Leo the Pony, sharing his grass.
He can be a little grumpy at times, but we certainly have a big soft spot for him anyway.
White Pekin (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus)
Pekin Ducks
This poor group of ducks were rescued after a concerned neighbour alerted the council to the shocking state they were being kept in. They were being kept all together in a small cramped crate unable to stand up or move out in a garden.
When they arrived they were terrified. They were so dirty it took us hours to bathe each of them and the water ran black with filth. Some of them had injuries and deformities caused by their cramped conditions and one was so poorly she needed immediate veterinary treatment and round-the-clock care for her illness, likely brought on by these poor conditions and stress.
We can't release all of the background information, but we suspect that these poor ducks were being kept for home slaughter. We don't know how much they have seen or been through, but they will never have to endure these horrors again.
Forever in Our Hearts
Although these beautiful ducks are no longer with us and are missed so very much, they live on always in our hearts and minds. As long as we continue to speak their names and tell their stories, they are still with us and will never be forgotten!
Gandalf
