Fluffy new arrivals on campus

Dr Paul Baker helped a mother duck and her 11 new ducklings onto water after finding them on our Glasgow campus.

The ducklings are thought to have hatched on campus on Monday 29 March and made their way to the Milton Street car park, before being intercepted by Dr Baker and members of the Domestics Services and Security Team, who helped transfer them in a box to The Claypits Nature Reserve in north Glasgow.

Dr Baker explained: “Whilst the parents choose to make the University their home, they would have sought to walk their hatchlings to the Canal shortly after they were born. Unfortunately, there are a number of obstacles between the University and the Canal (including the motorway) and it is unlikely that the duckling would have survived.“

Paulo Cruz, Head of Operational Sustainability, said: “With the launch of the University’s Biodiversity Plan a number of colleagues have taken a keen interest in wildlife on campus and are playing a crucial role in helping it thrive. Without our colleagues’ watchful eyes, these 11 ducklings are unlikely to have survived and we are grateful for their timely intervention."

You can find out more about the University’s Biodiversity Plan from this page and also sign-up for the University’s sustainability newsletter.