What's up duck? Blind bird named 'Geraldine' adopted after being 'bullied' and 'pecked at'

A blind duck who was “bullied” and “pecked at” by other ducks has been rescued and adopted, an animal charity said.

The bird, named locally as Geraldine, was rescued from Whitburn Pond in South Tyneside after locals raised concerns about its wellbeing.

Geraldine, who has cataracts, was taken to animal charity Pawz for Thought in Sunderland on Sunday (5 December) by a worried resident.

Lynne Ebdale, founding director of the charity, explained: “I got a phone call about a week ago from a lady who was very concerned because the duck was going blind, and they’d been feeding it for years on the pond.

"They’d noticed she was going downhill because her feathers were getting a bit tatty and torn, and she was obviously going blind.”

Geraldine was adopted within an hour of arriving at the charity after two volunteers decided to adopt her.

Ms Ebdale added: “We haven’t got facilities here where she would have been very comfortable because we’ve got short-term pens and things.

“It’s so busy here we cannot give her the cost of care that she needs. She needs to be able to find her food.

“She always needs to be warm and dry and she needs to be safe from other animals, because other animals may target her eyes.”

Ms Ebdale said Geraldine is now in a home where her “every need will be met, her food will be where she can find it, she will have no competition from other birds and won’t be bullied or pecked at again”.

Geraldine will have her eyes checked by a vet in the coming days.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...