Critically endangered ducks hatch at wetlands centre in Gloucestershire

Two critically endangered ducks have been hatched at Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire.

It's the first time that Slimbridge has successfully bred the critically endangered species.

Phoebe Vaughan, Deputy Living Collections Manager said: “The Baer’s pochard is the most recent in a long list of ‘little brown ducks’ to need our help and understanding in recent decades.

"The Aviculture team is thrilled to be able to do our bit for raising the awareness of both the Baer’s pochard, and also incidentally the Madagascar pochard, to which this little family are representing for us so beautifully.

"When you make habitat, they will come, they will breed, and they will thrive! This is such a valuable message to our visitors and future generations.”

Baer’s pochard were once a common species across Eastern Asia, but now risks becomingthe first widespread continental duck to become extinct.

The birds became listed as Critically Endangered in 2012, with a population once estimated as around 20,000 to now fewer than 1000 individuals remaining in the wild.

Visitors to Slimbridge Wetland Centre can see the new Baer’s pochard family at the MissionPossible exhibit, who are said to be thriving in their new home.