Four-Legged Duckling

[las47032]

A duck farm has been looking after a four-legged duckling, christened Stumpy by his owner.

A rare genetic mutation has left the bird, now eight days old, with two legs behind the two he runs about on.

A four-legged duckling would not survive in the wild, but Nicky Janaway, who runs the Warrawee Duck Farm in the New Forest, is making sure he will do the best he can.

"He's eating and surviving so far and he is running about with those extra legs acting like stabilisers," Mrs Janaway said.

"We will making sure he's OK and hopefully he will carry on and survive."
Mrs Janaway said she was gobsmacked when he turned Stumpy over to find out his gender and was confronted by the extra legs.

"It was absolutely bizarre. I was thinking 'he's got too many legs' and I kept counting '1,2,3,4'."

The mutation is rare but cases have been recorded across the world.

One duckling called Jake was born in Queensland in Australia in 2002 with four legs. He died soon afterwards.



Source: Four-legged duckling keeps owner on toes | Breaking News | News | Telegraph

[Woodmonkey]

Poor thing.