Meet Fred, an 11-year-old Labrador from Mountfitchet Castle in Essex. He has become a foster parent to a group of orphaned ducklings for the second time.
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You might remember hearing about him last year after he adopted nine ducklings. He took them in after their mother vanished. After they grew up, they all flew the nest and never returned.
Well, this time around he is touching hearts with six new baby ducks to look after.
The new group of ducklings had been left behind by their mother, a Muscovy duck, after she wandered off with six of their siblings.
After Fred was shown the orphans, he instantly laid down around them to keep them warm and before he knew it, the babies calipered onto his back and playfully sat on his head.
Mountfitchet Castle shared the incredible footage of Fred being a duck-dad on Instagram, writing: “Fred, the famous Labrador dog is not ducking out of his duties as he again steps in to foster seven day-old ducklings.
“The mother, a Muscovy duck, had fourteen babies but for some reason left half of them behind in the nest when she wandered off to the nearest pond with the other half of the ducklings dutifully following along behind her.
The post added: “Within minutes the ducklings accepted their odd-looking new mum and were climbing all over him.”
