During one of his long walks, a man named Riyadh Khalaf stumbled upon a mysterious egg. He wasn’t sure what kind of egg it was, but it was clear that it had been accidentally abandoned.
Unable to leave it behind, Riyadh gently took the egg and brought it home. But, what happened next was truly extraordinary.
When Riyadh found the abandoned egg, he decided to try to hatch it and give the poor creature inside a chance at life.
He carefully placed the egg in a paper cup and brought it home. Upon his arrival, he quickly set up everything he needed to care for the egg.
Then, he placed it in an incubator and excitedly waited to meet his new friend. Throughout the process, he shared updates on social media, documenting the journey.
After five days, Riyadh finally got a good look inside the egg. His heart warmed at the remarkable sight. He was thrilled to see that the tiny creature was alive and moving.
With each passing day, the creature inside the egg was developing, and Riyadh just couldn’t wait anymore. Still, he knew he had to be patient and not interrupt the hatching process, as that could be dangerous. He shared in a video:
“It was torture stopping myself from helping it break out of the egg. Doing that could be fatal. I eventually passed out.”
As soon as Riyadh fell asleep, the egg finally began to hatch. After almost 28 days, the mysterious egg revealed someone adorable – it was a baby duck.
However, their journey didn’t end there. Riyadh affectionately named the duckling Spike and continued to care for him.
The day after hatching, Spike was ready to leave the incubator, however, he needed a safe place to grow and learn how to be a duck.
He created a cozy new home for Spike, which he called the “Duckingham Palace.” The first thing he did was buy mirrors, so Spike could see his reflection and recognize his own species. But that was just the beginning.
Riyadh was determined to teach Spike how to be a proper duck, with the help of a surrogate “teddy duck.”
He got a toy duck for Spike to snuggle with, but he also used it as a training tool, holding the toy next to the food to encourage Spike to start eating.
Yet, all that just wasn’t enough. Riyadh went a step further and bought a whistle that mimicked quacking sounds, and even mixed these with duck sounds on his laptop to help Spike feel at home, surrounded by the familiar noises of his species.
Riyadh continued reading and learning everything about ducks, so he could give his little Spike the best life possible, at least until it was time for him to go to a better place.
Yes, you read that right! Soon, Spike will go to the most amazing rehabilitation place, where he will be introduced to a flock and continue learning how to be a duck with their help.
Though Spike’s departure will surely break Riyadh’s heart, he’s happy to know that Spike will be in a better place, surrounded by his own kind.
Riyadh will always be grateful for this unique and heartwarming opportunity that doesn’t come around often.