The Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust has reported that a total of 18 endangered ducks, valued at "thousands of dollars," have been stolen. The group is asking the public for help in locating the birds.

"Please report it to the police or the trust. Please do not buy the birds because they are endangered and protected by the law. We do want the birds be returned alive, if possible," a representative from the trust told Newsday on Friday.

The representative, who asked to remain unnamed, said workers locked and secured the breeding aviaries, the home to many white-faced whistling ducks (dendrocygna viduata), and went away on Tuesday at around 4 pm.

The next morning, the discovery was made. The mesh of the one of the aviaries was cut, and the 18 ducks were missing.

The representative added, "Some ducks were still in the pen. We breed these local endangered birds to be released into the environment eventually. There are rare and endangered and worth thousands of dollars."

[caption id="attachment_995698" align="alignnone" width="829"] White-faced whistling ducks at the Pointe-a-Pierre Wildfowl Trust. - P-a-P Wildfowl Trust Fb page[/caption]

CCTV footage shows three unknown men, believed to be thieves, walking on the compound wearing boots.

The representative added, "They are not people known to be working on the compound. They were wearing rubber boots, and one was holding a cutlass."

The trust, which was established in 1966, is on the compound of state-owned Heritage Petroleum Ltd, formerly Petrotrin. Its president is Molly Gaskin, an environmental activist.

This wetland habitat that is home to several locally endangered wetland birds. Its avicultural re-introduction programme includes several other species like the black-bellied tree (whistling) ducks (dendrocygna autumnalis) and the white-cheeked pintails (anas bahamensis).

No one has been arrested, and Marabella police are investigating.

Anyone with information about the theft can call the Marabella police at 652-6777 or the trust at 218-4036.