Police are hunting a beloved pet duck who was snatched from his home in Highland Perthshire, leaving his “wife” heartbroken.
A reward has been issued for the safe return of Hamish McDuck, a valuable mandarin drake who vanished on Friday afternoon.
He is believed to have been waddling around the grounds of his home at Guay Farm, in the Ballinluig area, when he was taken.
Nearby workmen said they saw a suspicious car pull up outside the property just moments before he disappeared.
Devastated owner Suzi Anderson launched an emotional campaign to get Hamish home on social media. In less than 24 hours, well-wishers pledged £200 to offer as a reward for his return.
Now police and the Scottish SPCA have joined the search.
Suzi said: “We are absolutely heartbroken. I’m trying everything to get him back.”
She said that Hamish was mated for life with female duck Morag. “They are inseparable and she is missing him greatly,” she said. “She hasn’t stopped calling out for him since he disappeared. It’s just awful to see.”
Suzi, who also shares her home with 25 chickens, a dog and a cat, said: “Some men were working beside the farm on Friday and they said they saw the two ducks at the front of the farm. A car drove up and came to halt, but when it drove off, the men said they only saw one duck.”
Suzi said: “Hamish is very distinctive. He looks like an ornament, a real work of art. I don’t want to say how much he is worth, but I’m guessing he was taken for his high monetary value.”
She checked out a reported sighting near Pitlochry golf course, but it turned out to be another mandarin, living wild.
“We just want our little lost soul back,” she said. “I hope whoever did this will have a change of heart and returns him. I would take him back, no questions asked. But I need to make sure he is being looked after properly.”
Police have urged anyone with any information about Hamish’s whereabouts to get in touch.