Brecon: Ducklings saved by firefighters in four hour rescue

The baby birds were rescued by firefighters

Six ducklings trapped under a metal grate were rescued by firefighters in a four hour operation.

The birds became trapped as they swam through a sluice gate from a pond in the centre of Brecon, Powys.

That led them into an 18ft long funnel that fed into a river.

Their predicament was spotted by a passer-by who called the RSPCA to rescue them from the weir. RSPCA inspector Holly Brown said saving them had been "a very tricky job".

She said: "Unfortunately the ducklings weren't able to join the mother duck after they had got separated so they were found alone."

Insp Brown tried to catch them with a pole and net but couldn't reach them, so she rang the fire service.

They were, she said, "not very grateful to be rescued".

They were said to have been "not very grateful to be rescued"

"The fire service had to lift the heavy metal grates and then we had to persuade the ducks to swim a certain way before catching them in nets," Insp Brown said.

"But they kept swimming away so it took a long time to get each one."

After the rescue on Saturday, the ducklings were taken to be looked after by a wildlife officer.

They will be transferred to a wildlife centre until they are ready to be returned to the wild.

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