When Marin Humane received an urgent call about ducklings trapped in a storm drain, they quickly sent Officer Cimmiyotti to the scene.
When he got there he immediately noticed a frantic and distressed mama duck.
The mother duck was standing over the storm drain, refusing to move. She anxiously watched people walk by, desperately hoping someone would notice and help her babies.
Though cautious of Officer Cimmiyotti as he approached, the mother duck seemed to sense that he might be the solution to her problems. As he explained in an interview:
“Mama duck was understandably stressed about the situation given that she was separated from her babies. Once I arrived, Mom carefully watched me from a safe distance but continued to call out to the ducklings to make sure they knew she was still there.”
The rescue proved to be more challenging than anticipated. Officer Cimmiyotti had to lift the storm drain cover gently, careful not to alarm the mother duck or her ducklings.
If he startled them, the mother might flee, or the ducklings could end up running further down the pipes, complicating the rescue.
After carefully removing the cover, Cimmiyotti collected the ducklings one by one, making sure to avoid disturbing the rest of the family.
Throughout the process, the mother duck watched anxiously but seemed to trust Cimmiyotti’s intentions. Finally, all her ducklings were safe, and Cimmiyotti reported:
“Mama duck was such a good mom. She stayed nearby during the entire rescue and talked to her babies, so they knew right where to find her once they were out of the storm drain.”
Cimmiyotti ensured that no duckling was left behind and guided all of them back to their mother.
Once reunited, the duck family safely made their way away from the dangers of the road. Cimmiyotti felt a deep sense of pride and happiness knowing that he had successfully reunited the family and ensured their safety:
“Fortunately, all of the ducklings were uninjured after falling into the storm drain and they were all able to rejoin mom. After being reunited, the family of ducks made their way into a nearby marsh, where they were safe and away from the road.”
All the ducklings were saved and reunited with their mother thanks to Marin Humane’s quick response and Cimmiyotti’s careful and prompt rescue.