THE owners of a stately home in west Dorset have explained why they asked the public to contribute to a fundraiser after a duck was killed on the estate.

As previously reported the family behind Mapperton House near Beaminster were left distraught after a visitor cruelly wrung a duck’s neck and tossed its body into the long grass.

Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, and Luke Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke, were heartbroken after their 10-year-old runner duck, Quackers, a mainstay of the attraction, was chased down by a woman’s dog and subsequently strangled by its owner and thrown aside.

Runner ducks are a huge part of Mapperton and are left to freely run around the grounds.

Subsequently a fundraiser was launched by the family via GoFundMe in memory of Quackers to create a new pond to attract wild ducks and other wetland species to Mapperton.

The money raised will also enable the team to plant trees, shrubs and aquatic plants in the pond, alongside a plaque to commemorate Quackers ‘in the hope that her legacy will be the creation of a new wetland habitat which will provide a refuge for wild ducks and other wildlife for decades to come.’

At the time of writing, the fundraiser has reached £4,560 towards a £10,000 target.

READ MORE: More than £4k raised after duck killed by dog walker

Luke Montagu, the eldest son of the Earl of Sandwich, explained why they had launched the fundraiser rather than paying for the new pond themselves.

He told the News: “Mapperton believes in providing as much public access as possible to the historic house, gardens and wider estate, and the income generated is used to support the significant costs of building maintenance as well as our nature recovery projects.

“In addition, we sometimes launch public fundraisers for specific restoration projects, including most recently over £25,000 raised to repair the lead eagles at the front of the house.

“In this case, we wanted to give members of the public an opportunity to support the creation of a new wild pond in memory of Quackers, and we are delighted that so many have chosen to do so.”

Julie Montagu previously said of the tragic incident: “The entire team here was in shock. You come to Mapperton and one of the first things that you see are three runner ducks. I think the whole act is absolutely appalling - it took us almost an hour to try and find her.”