Bus stop duck Arnold may have 'flown home' to owner

Arnold has become bolder since spending more and more time at the bus stop

Melanie Harris Arnold the duck — Arnold has become bolder since spending more and more time at the bus stop

A duck that became an online celebrity after it spent weeks hanging around a large puddle near a bus stop may have flown home back to its owner.

The bird, nicknamed Arnold, was first spotted on 11 January in Daybrook, Arnold, Nottinghamshire.

Owen Baxter set up a Facebook group for the female Muscovy duck due to its popularity with bus users in Mansfield Road.

However, there is a suggestion that Arnold may have only been on holiday.

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Arnold is said to be fond of the large puddle

Sally Radford Arnold the duck near a puddle — Arnold is said to be fond of the large puddle

He said: "The first time I saw Arnold it was crunched up in the corner and I wondered if it was alright.

"Then she was spotted a few more times and she seemed to get more confident, often sitting on the bin.

"I posted a message as a chuckle to make friends laugh and then created the Facebook group."

He added that despite being close to the Valley Road and Arnot Hill parks, which both have large areas for water fowl, Arnold seemed to "really like the puddle".

The whiff of the bin doesn't seem to bother Arnold

Jane Wilson-Smith Duck on a bin — The whiff of the bin doesn't seem to bother Arnold

However, the bird has not been seen since Sunday morning and there is a suggestion Arnold is actually someone's pet.

One person in the group, which has about 80 members, said Arnold could belong to a woman who lost five ducks in Colwick in December.

"After having her 15 minutes of fame maybe she's flown home," Mr Baxter said.