On Sunday, 15th August, at approximately 5 pm, a waddling of ducks was found wandering dangerously across the main Eastbourne Road in Ridgewood, Uckfield, causing concern among local residents. East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (WRAS) quickly responded to the situation, sending an ambulance to the scene for safety reasons.
Rescuers, along with local residents, joined forces to carefully guide the ducks away from the busy road and through a nearby housing estate. Their destination: a local pond where the ducks would be safe from harm.
The ducks are clearly not wild and appear to have been bred somewhere, either escaping or possibly being dumped,” explained Trevor Weeks MBE, founder of WRAS.
The rescue team gently encouraged the confused ducks along Teelings Drive and down to a pond on the edge of the estate. The ducks, unfamiliar with their surroundings, were reluctant to move at first.
Our priority was to get them somewhere safe and to ensure they were no longer a road hazard,” said Trevor Weeks. “This is certainly an unusual situation, but not the first time we’ve encountered something like this. A few years ago, Sussex Police called for our assistance when over 200 ducks ended up on the A21 at Hurst Green. Those were believed to have escaped from a rearing enclosure.”
After some effort, the ducks finally reached the pond, where they began settling in, dabbling in the water, and appearing to enjoy their new surroundings.
Thanks to the quick thinking and cooperation of WRAS and local residents, the ducks are now safe, and a potentially dangerous situation was averted.
