QUICK, mum, there's a lion coming!

Wildlife rangers at Knowsley Safari are used to some unusual sights but they reckon the mother mallard duck who chose to rear her two ducklings in the lions' den was just a bit 'quackers'.

Fortunately staff moved quickly to the rescue on St George's Day.

"I'm so glad we spotted Ant and Dec in time, they had no idea of the danger they were in. The lions had definitely spotted them," said a Safari spokesman.

"We managed to distract the pride, and evacuated the ducklings just in time. We got them curled up in front of a heater shortly after rescue to warm them up before letting them out into a safer section of the Safari."

The ducklings were being raised there naturally by their mother who didn't realise she was in the lions' territory.