Ducks dying without reservoir ramps, say residents

A brood of seven ducklings found dead near a South Yorkshire reservoir has prompted calls for a water company to reinstall ramps to help the birds.

The baby ducks were found at Scout Dyke reservoir near Penistone on Saturday.

Yorkshire Water, which manages the reservoir, installed meal ramps in 2022 to stop the ducklings from getting trapped in the reservoir spillway.

However, the company said the ramps had not been put out this year due to high water levels, but said they would be added as soon as it was safe to do so.

Ajay, who lives near the reservoir, said she had seen the ducks on Friday, saying they appeared "very happy".

But when she returned on Saturday she she could hear the parents "continuously calling" and later located the seven dead ducklings

She said it was "very distressing" for the adult ducks and was also distressing for people to see the trapped birds or have to fish them out of the water dead.

Posting on social media she urged Yorkshire Water to "get it sorted," adding: "You should be working with, not against wildlife."

Len Batty, who also lives nearby, said he had been to the reservoir to rescue live ducklings and remove dead ones "for years at least".

Like frogs, he said, ducklings need something solid to climb out of the water on because they cannot swim when young.

"[Residents] have put in planks for the ducklings but Yorkshire Water say they're a health and safety issue too and they're removed," he said.

Yorkshire Water said the ramps had been removed for health and safety reasons and could be re-installed once the water level drops at least a metre.

Responding to comments on social media, the company said: "As soon as it is safe we will aim to get these re-installed."

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