A 20cm/8" long goldfish had to be rescued after it was abandoned in a ditch in West Sussex.
The fish was discovered swimming in just 10cm/4" of water — barely enough to cover it — by one of the volunteer grounds staff at the WWT Arundel Wetland Centre.
The goldfish has been christened Bauble and is currently swimming in a pond used for pond dipping activities at the centre during the spring and summer months. However, staff are hoping to find a new home for him in another pond and are appealing to members of the public to adopt him.
Sam Halpin, who is the grounds warden at the centre, told the Littlehampton Gazette: "We have to segregate Bauble as he is a non-native species in the UK. Many invasive aquarium plants, non-native fish and water borne diseases are spread by thoughtless people disposing of the contents of their aquariums and ponds into waterways in the countryside."
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