Charity campaign to help feed ducks responsibly

The Canal and River Trust has said that people throwing bread into canals is potentially polluting the water and damaging hundreds of thousands of ducks’ homes.

Last year 74 per cent of people in Yorkshire fed the ducks, 80 per cent of them admitting to feeding our feathered friends with bread.

Uneaten soggy bread can cause a build-up of bad nutrients which can lead to greater algae growth, spread disease and encourage pests such as rats.

Ahead of the official start of spring and duckling hatching season, the Canal & River Trust is calling on people across Yorkshire to make a few simple changes to how they feed the ducks (2).

Phillippa Baron, ecologist for the Canal & River Trust, said: “Please come and feed the ducks but do it sensibly so your children and future generations can enjoy it too.

“The charity is asking the public to make a few simple changes. Bread’s not great for a duck’s health as it’s nothing like their natural diet so don’t over feed them with large quantities of it.

“Try to vary what you give them and swap it for healthier more natural treats like oats, corn or defrosted frozen peas. And exercise portion control.

“Don’t follow the crowds, spread the love, and visit a new family of ducks to prevent large quantities of the starchy duck ‘junk food’ from clogging up the same places and potentially damaging the environment.”

For more information on the campaign visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/duck