Blind duck rescued after getting 'bullied'

Geraldine was being bullied by the other pond ducks, an animal charity said

A blind duck had to be rescued after being "bullied" by other ducks, an animal charity has said.

The bird, which was in Whitburn Pond in South Tyneside, was reported by locals to Sunderland animal charity Pawz for Thought after they had seen it "stumbling about" and getting attacked by other ducks.

Lorraine Thornton, from the charity, said a decision was made on Sunday to take in the duck, which is locally known as Geraldine.

After looking Geraldine over, the team quickly found that she was either "blind" or had "very poor eyesight".

A duck without the ability to see well could not survive in the wild, said Ms Thornton.

But luckily about 20 minutes after Geraldine came in to the rescue, two volunteers came in who had a "soft spot for disabled birds".

"She's going to get really good care," she said. "They've done this many times before."

Ms Thornton said it was "as if by magic".

She wanted to emphasise, however, that people should not try to domesticate wild animals themselves.

"Wildlife should be in the wild," she said, but in the case of Geraldine, "this is best outcome for her under veterinary instructions".

"It is illegal to keep wild animals," she said. "It has to be vet checked."