The seaside 'duck village' at the entrance to Manoel Island was dismantled after more than 25 years, amid complaints of filthy and unsanitary conditions.

The quirky village, home to ducks, hens, cats, rabbits and other animals has been an attraction to tourists and locals alike for many years.

But in recent years, rubbish has been mounting at the site, which has also served as a dumping site for unwanted animals.

The decision to remove the village comes amid pressure by animal activists who raised the alarm of the negligence of the village, where animals have been found living in filthy and unsanitary conditions.

On Friday, Sunshine Animal Sanctuary Malta posted photos of workers removing the structures at the village and cleaning up leftover rubbish.

“We saved many animals from this filthy, unsanitary and unkept dumpsite over the years by jumping over the fence at night as it was the only way. Some animals died in our hands, despite doing our best to save them, while others received medical care and were re-homed,” the NGO said.

The NGO thanked the Gżira council for taking the decision to remove the village.

“We will continue catching the remaining animals there, giving them medical care and re-homing them.”

Ġzira mayor Conrad Borg Manche said the decision was taken to remove the duck village following the large number of complaints from activists and residents.

"Ultimately it was going to be removed because of the MIDI's plans for Manoel Island, but after animal welfare investigations and numerous reports, we took the decision to remove the village now."

The ducks' village was originally a pilot project of the hunters' federation together with the local council in the mid-1990s that eventually led to several species of duck being released.