Wildlife UK Forum - Discuss the UK countryside and wildlife

I quite often walk past a small pond, and recently there has been the warming sight of a mother duck raising her ducklings. I could watch the five little ducklings all day, as all they seem to do is play on the nearby steps. They don't seem at all bothered by humans - I've seen people go right up to them and the mother and she has moved away, but not in any great hurry.

I don't think that anyone would wish to harm these cute animals, but is it a worry that if the ducks get too confident around humans that this will translate to them not having a fear or other predators? Or even humans in their later life?

It depends where these ducklings are. If they are in a more urban area, I don't think they have much to worry about from humans as long as they know not to get too close. If they are in the countryside, they may be more at risk from being shot at, but even then it's fairly unlikely.

I also don't think that a confidence around humans would translate to other predators, but if it did that could be more of a problem.

Yeah Ive never heard of people attacking ducks for fun

Perhaps I worry too much!

These ducks are in an urbanised area so I don't think there is much to worry about.

Perhaps!

I know that the wild mallards here in the States are much wilder than their semi-domesticated counterparts.  It's easy to tell which ducks are migrating, and which ducks are the locals .

Kingfisher