Man who killed heron to save duckling cautioned by police

The little duck got out alive

The man rescued a duckling from the heron's stomach (Getty)

A man who killed a heron to rescue a baby duck from its stomach has been cautioned by police.

After witnessing the bigger bird eat the newborn, he decided to act, according to North Wales Police Rural Crime Team.

“Strangely he actually did rescue the duckling alive from the dead heron’s stomach” the force posted on Twitter.

“But obviously he was then left with a dead heron. You couldn’t make this up!”

The man, who police chose not to name, was cautioned after police revealed he was “vulnerable” and “elderly”.

They said he had “confessed voluntarily to the action with no previous convictions”.

But the decision to let the man off with what some deemed an overly light punishment, provoked a mixed reaction on social media.

Some felt he should have received a more severe punishment, especially as herons are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Lee Dingain, who describes himself as a conservationist, a naturalist and a Wader Quest trustee posted on Twitter: “Utterly ridiculous! Not too elderly to kill an apparently “protected” & not to mention formidable bird.

“The heron is the vulnerable one! Decisions like this are a major part of the reason why wildlife crime is not taken seriously.

“If he had stabbed someone he would be prosecuted.”

The RSPB bird charity states in their online public information: “In Great Britain the heron is protected at all times under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, with fines or prison sentences available for anyone killing or attempting to kill.

The North Wales Police rural unit was not immediately available for comment when contacted by The Independent.

They tweeted in response to questions about the caution: “These decisions are never taken lightly and a number of factors are addressed.”