Two adorable baby coots had to be rescued in Salford Quays after becoming stuck in wire fencing.
The babies were successfully reunited with their parents and siblings after being saved by the RSPCA on Sunday, May 3.
One of the birds, no more than a week old, had got its head stuck while the other was stranded at the end of the pontoon.
Animal welfare officer Steve Wickham paddled out across the water in one of the RSPCA’s rescue boats in order to free them.
He said: “One of the babies had his head stuck in the wire and the other was stuck at the edge of the pontoon.
“I managed to release the birds and put them back in their nest with mum and dad who were squawking and making themselves known nearby.
“Thankfully there were no injuries so they were able to be reunited with their siblings straight away.
“I believe the wire was to try and protect the flowers which had been placed on the floating pontoon but the birds have now decided to make their nest there.
“They were only young babies and quite small, no bigger than the palm of my hand.”
The RSPCA dealt with 5,161 wildlife incidents in Greater Manchester last year.
Since the lockdown, the charity has responded to 10,817 incidents about wildlife across England and Wales.
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