The dog and the duck: Labrador 'adopts' bird whose mother was killed by a fox

These are the adorable pictures of a duckling who has been 'adopted' by a Labrador after his mother was mauled to death by a fox.

Dennis the baby duck was left for dead when its mother was mauled by a vixen.

The bird, which was less than a week old, would have died in the wild had it not been taken in by four-year-old Fred and his owner Jeremy Goldsmith, 44.

Amazingly the Labrador took an immediate shine to the duckling and began to clean the muddy duck with its tongue.

An abandoned duckling whose mother was killed by a fox has been given a new lease of life after being "adopted" by a Labrador

Now the unlikely mates sleep together, play together and even go swimming in the local pond.

Jeremy, who owns Mountfitchet Castle, in Stansted, Essex, where the animal was found, said Fred has become 'a modern stay at home dad' to the duckling.

He said: 'It is amazing to see the two of them together. When we found Dennis he was quite frail and he clearly would not have survived another day on his own.

'Fred, who has always been extremely loving, went straight up to him and began to lick the little bird clean.

'Since then Dennis has not stopped following him around and Fred has pretty much adopted him.

'Dennis snuggles up to Fred at night, he will clamber up on top of him and they even go swimming together - but Fred is a lot less graceful in the water.



Dennis would have died in the wild had it not been for Fred. He has taken an immediate shine to the duckling and has started to clean him with his tongue

Fred's owner Jeremy said: 'I don't think the duckling would have made it without Fred - his loving nature really does make a difference' 'I don't think the duckling would have made it without Fred - his loving nature really does make a difference. 'Fred grew up with all our animals and has such a loving nature that he always fathers any orphans, he even took over looking after Lupin a Fallow deer when she was tiny. 'Though Dennis sees Fred more as mother - so I suppose he is a bit like of those modern stay at home dads.' Mountfitchet Castle, which is a restored Norman site, houses hundreds of rescued animals.

The castle and grounds, which are open to the public, have been owned by Jeremy and his family for the last 40 years.

Jeremy, who lives on the site with Dennis and Fred, said: 'It will be interesting to see the duckling as he grows up.