A lost duckling who arrived on a family's doorstep during a storm is now enjoying a life of luxury as a house duck.
The domesticated bird - named Denzel - was taken in by Jessica Clewes, 24, and father Michael Clewes, 70, after he heard his chirping outside his front door.
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Michael nursed a shivering Denzel back to health, warming him under a heat lamp and feeding him worms, and the next day his daughter Jessica took over duties.
When he was recovered, Denzel didn't want to leave, so Jessica built him a duck pond and outdoor house. However, the pampered anatidae prefers to stay in doors.
Four months since he was rescued, Denzel has become part of the family, following Jessica and partner, Adam Oliver, 38, around the house in Smallwood, Cheshire, even sitting on their shoulders and nestling into her hair.
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As for his favourite activities, he loves to watch TV while sitting by the fire. Now there's a duck after our own hearts.
"We love him to bits. He sees us as parents and we have hand-reared him since he was a baby," says Jessica, a cleaner.
"He sits on my knee at night whilst I watch TV and now it's cold outside he likes to sit in front of the log burner.
"He's never ever tried to fly away and he could do at any point really, but this is all he has ever known.
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"I'm not sure he would survive in the wild now. I'm not even sure he knows how to be a proper duck."
She continued: "He must have only been a couple of days old when he turned up on my dad's door in the rain.
"I want to keep him forever now. We both have an affection for him.
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"He must be happy otherwise he would just fly off. He could do if he wanted to but has never even tried.
"'Gamekeepers, farmers and country people aren't all about killing animals. We are all massive conservationists too."
Denzel, a mallard drake, turned up outside Michael's house in the middle of July.
Jessica and her partner chose not to clip his wings and built him an outdoor area to roam.
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The duck spends his days outside like regular ducks, but sleeps in doors in the warmth unlike others of his breed.
"He has a duck house outside with a pen and a little pond. We feed him corn and occasionally give him meal worms as a treat," says Jessica.
"One of his favourite things to do with us is sit in the garden and dig up mealworms.
"He will sit on my shoulder too and I can walk around the house with him on there. When he was young he used to sit on my head. I think he might have seen it as a bird's nest.
"My boyfriend is obsessed with him and they have a special connection for sure. He pecks me sometimes but follows Adam around wherever he goes."
Unfortunately, ducks are hard to toilet train, so the ladies often find themselves cleaning up after Denzel.
The couple are now hoping to adopt a female black duck so Denzel can start a family.
Denzel, you've landed on your flippers with this one.
Featured Image Credit: SWNS