Ducklings saved from drain

PLANTATION, Fla. (WSVN) -- A group of ducks once stuck in a drain have a caring bystander to thank for calling help.

Wednesday afternoon, the feathered friends were left drained after they became separated from their mother. Even in the animal kingdom it proves true: you can't turn your back on your babies, not even for a second.

Cries for help coming from a sewage drain in a Plantation parking lot. Inches away a mother duck paces nervously hoping someone will bring her family back together. "I saw the mother and she looked distressed and agitated, so I put my stuff in the car, and I heard the babies in the drain," said a Good Samaritan who decided to get some help.

But the shopper got the run around a bit when she turned to stores and even a nearby fire department for help. Eventually the Wildlife Care Center answered the call. "At least once or twice a week we get a call like this," said Rochester Lewis II of the Wildlife Care Center, "and we try to get the ducks out of the drain, so we can get them back to their families."

One by one, the tiny babies were fished out of their perilous predicament, each of them scrambling to Mama's side. She's grateful now, but the rescuer said it's not always clear to the mother you are trying to help her ducklings. "The mom stays there until you get the ducks out. They really protect their babies," explained Lewis. "Sometimes we get them out, and the moms come back here to try and get you, not knowing you're trying to save them."

Fortunately, this rescue operation has a happy ending, and mom and babies wandered safely away, leaving the rescuers with a really good feeling. "It makes me feel good and makes me feel like I make a difference," Lewis said.

Animal services says there is a mesh screen that can be put under grates, so small animals won't fall through, but it is up to the business owners to purchase and install them.

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