RSPCA rescue duck found stuck down narrow pipe in Leigh

RSPCA inspectors were called to Hope Carr Terrace in Leigh, where the bird was found six to seven feet down a narrow pipe at United Utilities’ wastewater treatment works.

The alert, raised by a staff member on May 14, led RSPCA deputy chief inspectors Jess Pierce and Beth Fazackerley to the scene.

She was stuck down a narrow pipe (Image: RSPCA)

Ms Pierce said: “This poor duck was stuck tight and unable to spread her wings or move about, six to seven feet down a narrow pipe.

“We don’t know how she got in there, but she had probably been there for 24 hours, so it was fortunate that she was spotted as the pipe was partly obscured under a stretch of metal grid.”

The rescue team initially struggled to find the right location, starting their search at another United Utilities site in Urmston.

They only had a video and the company name to go on, as the report was made anonymously.

Ms Pierce said: “It took us a while to find her, as we drew a blank at another United Utilities water treatment site nearby at Trafford Way in Urmston.

“We only had the video to go on, as the staff member had reported it anonymously.

“Eventually, we were able to match that up with the pipe at the Leigh works where the duck was trapped and carry out the rescue.”

Once on-site, Ms Pierce used a net attached to a search and rescue pole to safely free the adult female duck.

A net attached to a search and rescue pole was used to free the duck in distress (Image: RSPCA)

She was found uninjured and, after advice from the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Cheshire, was released on the nearby Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

The RSPCA advises the public to visit its website for guidance on helping trapped birds.

If you are unsure or need help, you should contact the RSPCA.