A duck that was left with an arrow sticking out of its head for three months has finally been rescued and had the bolt removed.
The duck had been shot through the neck and head with a steel-tipped arrow attached to a fishing line - miraculously, he not only survived but went around for three months without treatment and with the arrow still stuck in him.
Three rescuers headed out on kayaks to rescue the poor mallard, who had been cruelly shot with a crossbow on the Radbuza river in Pilsen, Czech Republic, the Daily Mail reports.
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Earlier attempts to capture the duck had proved unsuccessful as the little fella scarpered as soon as anyone came near him.
Karel Makon, from animal rescue centre DESOP Plzen, said: "The first time we tried to catch him was in April.
"But it was in vain. We tried many times but he always flew away, and he recognised us. He couldn't be caught."
The rescuers then decided to pull off a coordinated kayak chase to get the bird and take him to a vet.
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Makon said: "On Monday we succeeded by taking advantage of the fact that the duck was moulting, so he wouldn't be able to fly until new feathers grew.
"This time I was standing on the shore with a landing net on a long pole. Hanka and Radek distracted him in their kayaks."
Makon says the actual rescue mostly came down to luck, explaining: "I was on the shore above him, it was luck and I happened to see him.
"I quickly swung the landing net into the grass and managed to catch him. He didn't have a chance to escape."
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The duck was taken to a vet where he was given an x-ray before the arrow was carefully removed. He has since been released back into the water.
Police are looking for the attacker, or attackers, that injured the bird.
Makon said: "It is possible that he was the victim of poaching. There was a fishing line on the arrow. It looks like a targeted hunt, but we lack evidence. Or it may be vandalism."
Featured Image Credit: DESOP PlzenTopics: World News, Animals