Manchester, NH, Police Rescue Seven Ducklings From Drainpipe

The Manchester Police Department received a call about a duck quacking loudly. It was not just any duck, but a mother duck squawking at whoever would listen to her story.

It seems, according to the Manchester, NH, Police Facebook page, that this mother duck had a big problem.  She lost her ducklings and was mad, concerned, and downright out of her quacking mind when she started yelling for help.

You see, mama ducks have the same instinct as a human mama or most any animal mother.  We protect our offspring and go to any lengths to help our babies.  Mama duck quacked loud enough that a neighborhood resident called the Manchester, NH, police. The caller told the police there was a mother duck quacking away nearby after her duckling possibly fell into a storm drain.

I am imagining a proud mama duck waddling down the street with her team of seven ducklings waddling behind her obediently on a family trip when the accident happened.

Enter Manchester's Animal Control Officers, including Kayla Tremblay. Tremblay knew exactly what to do after the officers located the storm drain and the missing ducklings. They removed the grate over the drain, and Officer Tremblay, using a net, gently scooped up one duckling.  Then she went back in for another, and then another. One by one, she reached down the drain with her net and rescued each duckling until there was one left.  The lone baby in the drain was wet and flapping, but finally rescued in the net.

The ducklings were then put in a pet carrier, and the animal control officers waited for mama duck to meet them at the woods line.  Mama duck waddled back to her babies, and they were released to her.

This is a story Robert McCloskey, author of "Make Way For Ducklings", would be proud of.  Thank you Manchester NH Animal Control and Police Officers.