by Leonie Blakeway
The draining of part of the lake near Derwent College has caused serious disruption to campus wildlife.
One bird was found nesting in a Derwent kitchen, and the RSPCA were also called after a duckling was found stuck in mud.
The draining, which took place over Easter breeding season, left abandoned ducklings and dead fish in its wake. This has caused some to question the University’s integrity as a safe haven for wildlife.
Derwent resident Isobel Edwards, an environmental activist, jumped into the lake in an attempt to save the duckling. She said: “it is shocking that the University would display such a blatant disregard to the health of the ‘campus mascots’.”
A University spokesperson said that “the pond at Derwent court was drained for 24 hours to allow the windows of the cafeteria to be cleaned. This has no impact on the Spring nesting activities of the campus wildfowl. During the operation, Estates staff assisted a duckling to rejoin its family. A pigeon was found nesting in a Derwent kitchen and the nest was removed by our pest control contractor.”
Actually Estates staff didn’t help with rescuing the duckling, everyone was there, except them, what lies.