An injured duck was brought to him with external injuries on October 7.

She was crossing Foxton Beach Road with her six ducklings, according to witnesses, when a driver deliberately hit them.

Her ducklings all died and she suffered scratches to her wings, a webbing on her shoulder blade, profuse bleeding from the mouth, loss of feathers and her tongue was massively enlarged.

“At the time I expected him to have internal injuries, though, he must have been ridden. We discovered that the source of the bleeding was a laceration under her jaw that extended horizontally – about half the width of her neck.

Hyam said the animals had no tears or damage to her flight feathers, and he kept her for observation and tube-fed her to make sure she was getting food.

“The next day she perked up and the next morning I spoke to a vet at Massey about her and then took her to a vet nurse. We both agreed that it was in a suitable state.”

After iodine was applied to her wounds, the mother duck was released back into the wild just days after being hit by a car. Hyam was delighted that she seemed to have survived the incident and returned to where she belonged at a local pond.

“She was so insanely lucky I don’t know how to put it; though I can’t say the same for her babies. The individual who committed this act of cruelty is a coward.”

SPCA scientific officer Dr Alison Vaughan said the deliberate killing of animals by vehicles was a criminal act.

“The Animal Welfare Act 1999 provides protection for wild animals and creates offenses for their ill-treatment. Penalties range from one year in prison and/or a $50,000 fine to 5 years in prison and/or a $100,000 fine.”

Ill-treatment is defined as any act or omission that causes an animal to suffer pain or suffering that is not reasonable or necessary under the circumstances.

“The SPCA believes that drivers of vehicles in road accidents involving animals have a responsibility to ensure that any injured animal receives appropriate veterinary treatment quickly or is humanely killed. A driver who hits an animal is urged to call *555 and ask for advice. If the animal is alive and injured, the SPCA can be called to provide advice and assistance.”

Vaughan said motorists were advised to safely avoid ducks and ducklings on the road.

“Take care not to endanger yourself and please drive the ducks/ducklings to the side of the road and let them return to a nearby park or riverbed.”

She said if people see a bird that may be injured or sick, they should call the SPCA or bird rescue organization for advice. Some areas of New Zealand have dedicated bird rescue organizations that the SPCA works with and can refer people to.

The SPCA has a guide on their website that people can visit for more information – https://www.spca.nz/advice-and-welfare/article/what-to-do-if-you-find-an-injured-bird-or-fedgling.

Hyam said the mother duck was one of many success stories she has enjoyed running Foxton Bird Rescue, which she started about a year ago. He has rescued several different birds, from common backyard species such as thrushes, sparrows, blackbirds, silvereyes and finches, to rarer species including Antarctic prions and fairy prions.

Saving an Antarctic fulmar was one of Hyam’s best successes.

“I collected him and took him to Wildbase Recover (in Palmerston North) where I saw him recovering in his own pool – he had a flutter board to float on – then the coastguard took him miles out wide and released. “

He said his bird rescue, like many others, is always in need of donations of feed, rags, gas, newspapers, old cages, building materials or just a lift to the beach.

“I would say the best way to help a rescue is to reach out to them and ask them what they need.”

He said another way to help is to prevent birds from getting hurt in the first place. People can do this by putting stickers on windows and bells on cats.

“All injuries as side effects of human life are brutal – flying into windows, collected by traffic or mauled by cats.”

Hyam also has a bank account set up for donations and can be contacted via the Foxton Bird Rescue Facebook page.

Hyam said he would continue to perform bird rescues for as long as needed.

“I imagine I’ll be here to do this for as long as the community wants and there are about 90 species of birds that visit Foxton Beach so it seems like something worth doing.”