Scores of prized birds have been stolen during a risky midnight raid on a north-east farm.
Approximately 230 Khaki Campbell and French Cherry Valley ducks, worth more than £3,500, were snatched from a shed near the village of Laurencekirk.
The creatures, which the farmer kept for laying eggs, were grabbed between midnight and 3am on Friday, and police are now appealing for help in tracing the poached poultry.
Investigating officer, Constable Marc Camus, said: “I can’t say I have ever dealt with a situation like this before; we have previously had stolen chickens, but never ducks and certainly not as many as 230 and to the same value.
“Each duck is worth £15 and they each have a £20 anticipated value from the eggs that they lay.
“I don’t think the farmer is expecting to get the ducks back unfortunately due to their specific nature for egg laying, I would assume that they will be sold onto another farm.
“However, they cannot make it into the food chain as they are not certificated in any way.”
Following a string of rural crimes, the officer also encouraged other farms to remain vigilant.
He said: “I would advise farmers to get CCTV if they are able, make sure houses and barns are secure.
“The ducks were stolen between midnight and 3am on Friday, something that was very risky as the farmer would be up at this time and packaging the eggs away for delivery, so he was quite lucky that there wasn’t a confrontation.
“Due to the number of ducks taken it is believed that a vehicle similar in size to a pick-up truck or a transit van would have been sufficient to transport the animals.
“The breeds of ducks taken are not common and are difficult to source. The ducks may therefore be offered for sale to other poultry farmers.”
Lorna Paterson, the National Farmers Union north-east regional manager, also raised concerns over the number of rural thefts that have been reported in the last few years.
She said: “This is people’s livelihood and rural crime is becoming increasingly prominent in the north-east.
“It is also extremely dangerous to have people on your property that shouldn’t be there; this can be incredibly scary for those involved.
“The north-east is really becoming more of a rural crime hot spot.”
If anyone has any information about this incident they are asked to call Police Scotland on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.