Rescued Duckling Raised by Couple Returns to Their Home 6 Months Later–With 11 Chicks (LOOK)

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A couple who hand-reared a one-day-old duckling before releasing her back to the wild were left stunned when she returned to their home six months—and brought a few family members.

Phil Garner took the tiny mallard under his wing after finding her abandoned on a fishing lake, before bringing her back to his wife Julia, snuggled in his coat pocket.

The 67-year-old said the waterfowl, which they named Freda, became partially potty-trained using towels after she came to live in their three-bed house in Leeds, England. The couple even took turns sleeping near the “demanding” bird’s bed.

Julia said her husband of 16 years was undergoing agonizing treatment for bladder cancer when he first found Freda. She now considers the duck Phil’s “guardian angel” as he was able to focus his energy on caring for her during that difficult period.

“I wasn’t keen on my home becoming a duck sanctuary at first, but I think she was sent for a purpose… Freda helped him through it.”

They had tried for hours to find the ducking’s parents before being told by a fishery manager that she would perish if left in the wild.

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