After a mother duck refused to abandon a storm drain in Binghamton, New York, people quickly realized that her babies may have fallen in and gotten trapped.
Once the Broome County Government Security Division alerted the Fire Department, they discovered that 11 ducklings were stuck below.
What happened?
On the afternoon of July 4, Squad 21 of the Binghamton Fire Department was called to the scene, where they quickly identified why the duck wouldn't budge, according to WBNG.
The inspection of the drain revealed that all 11 ducklings had fallen in and were unable to get out. Luckily, the firefighters were able to safely remove the ducklings from the drain and returned them to their mother. With the family back together, the ducks moved on.
The Binghamton Fire Department shared the story of the rescue on Facebook, writing that "Sometimes serving our community means helping all of its residents—even the feathered ones!"
Commenters shared their appreciation for the rescuers. One wrote: "You guys are absolutely awesome! Nothing is too big or too small that needs to be rescued! Thanks for being amazing!"
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Another added, "This is beautiful to see them all walk away together." A third user wrote: "You guys are the Best! On behalf of Mallard Mom and her little 'quacklings' much gratitude and thanks."
Others just enjoyed some good old-fashioned animal puns, with one writing, "Isn't that just ducky?"
Why does it matter?
Storm drains can quickly become dangerous traps for young animals that are too small to escape on their own.
And while modern infrastructure was designed to make human society efficient, comfortable, and easy to navigate, it can be harder for baby animals to understand urban areas' ins and outs.
In this case, thanks to the determination of the mother duck, alongside the quick response of the human rescuers, this transformed what could've been an upsetting story into a cute moment.
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