POLICE WHO RUSHED to a woman’s home in after she reported a possible break-in in progress discovered only a lost duck.

The woman was awoken during the night by banging noises coming from downstairs in her home in North Reading, Massachusetts.

She called police – who told her to stay on the line and remain inside her locked bedroom.

When officers arrived, they could find no sign of a break-in. However on entering the house, according to the police department:

The officers were confronted by the intruder… which was later tentatively identified as a female Wood Duck.

After what police called a “short pursuit”, the duck was apprehended.

It turned out to have blundered into the house through the chimney. Police knew this because:

The duck, covered in chimney soot, flew directly into a vaulted ceiling, leaving the perfect soot silhouette of the flying duck on [the] white ceiling.

The confused bird was soon released, and returned to a nearby pond. North Reading police have asked locals to help with the investigation, stating: “If anyone can positively identify this duck, let us know.”

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