She thought a mother duck was attacking her baby, then saw the duckling trapped in a net

In Wilmington, North Carolina, one local's quick thinking saved a duckling from drowning.

While resident Olga was enjoying her tea from her balcony, she spotted a strange scene in the pond close to her home. 

What happened?

To Olga, it initially seemed as though a mother duck was hurting one of her babies. But when she took a closer look at the pond, she realized that the frantic adult was actually trying to save the duckling from a more serious threat.

Olga later described the scene in a video shared by The Dodo. Watching and filming from her balcony, she said, it looked disturbing from a distance until she moved closer and understood what was happening.

"When we got closer, I realized it was completely caught in the net. … The net was super tight"

She told The Dodo, "We grabbed the broom because I also thought that the duckling might be a little too far away from the shore."

With the duckling tightly trapped, Olga tried to get professional help. She added, "At this moment I called rescue, but because it was so early in the morning, it was just 7:00 a.m. No one would answer, so I left a message."

The situation changed quickly after that. The bird was brought to land on the broom before the tangled net was cut off with scissors.

"It was almost like a miracle," Olga said to The Dodo. "The baby regained its strength and it started to run away from me, jumped in the water, started to paddle real fast." 

Soon, the mother and the rest of the ducklings met up with it and the family swam away together.

Why does it matter?

The clip shows how wildlife behavior can be easy to misread. What first appeared to be aggressive behavior was actually a mother trying to help her trapped baby.

It is also an example of how abandoned gear and litter can turn a pond into a hazard. Nets, fishing line, and other debris can trap birds and other animals, leaving them injured, exhausted, or unable to escape without human help.

What can I do?

If you do spot an animal tangled in debris, the safest step is usually to contact local animal rescue or wildlife officials first. If help is not immediately available, avoid putting yourself in danger, and do not enter the water or handle a wild animal unless it can be done safely or from a distance.

Just as importantly, fishing gear, nets, and other waste should be disposed of properly so they never end up in a pond, creek, or storm drain. Picking up litter during a walk or reporting dumping near local waterways can also help reduce the risk for birds and other animals.

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