This was one wild ride.
These fluffy little adventurers were found in quite an unusual spot: huddled together underneath a busy ride at Chessington World of Adventures. Not exactly your typical choice of nesting ground!
This family’s situation quickly took a turn for the worse, when oil from the ride above began dripping down, coating the newborn youngsters’ downy fluff – a potentially fatal threat.
Fortunately, however, they were spotted and, along with mum, contained and brought to us.
Our vet team sprang into action, carefully bathing each duckling to remove the oil, desperately hoping that these fragile little guys hadn’t ingested the toxic substance, before putting them into a warm incubator, in intensive care, to recover.
Heartbreakingly, two of the smallest ducklings were simply too little to pull through, despite everyone’s best efforts.
But the rest of the brood proved to be courageous, resilient little souls; so much so that our team attempted the big reunion. Would mum recognise them?
Thankfully, she didn’t hesitate for a second.
The ducklings were reunited with mum, and she ran over to them instantly, providing the warmth and care they were missing.
This sweet family are now back together, safe, and recovering – with a slightly less adventurous housing plan, we hope!
The family were safely released on the 21st April in a different area to prevent this from happening again.
This story is proof that sometimes even a rollercoaster start can have a heartwarming ending.
If you would like to help other animals like this sweet duck family, you can donate by clicking below.
When you donate you help towards the costs of looking after all the animals here at the hospital.
Could provide medicine for a sick animal
