Answering a mother's call isn't unusual for a police officer in Calgary, but it is when the mother has feathers and webbed feet.
Officers arrived at the northwest community of Royal Oak on May 19 to find an apparently stressed out mother duck out pacing near a storm drain.
Her ducklings had fallen in, according to Calgary Police Service social media posts.
Const. Blake Springman removed the grate and climbed into the drain to retrieve seven baby ducks.
"Although this was not a typical call for CPS officers to attend, we are proud of Const. Springman and the officers who attended as they exemplify the actions that CPS officers take every day to go above and beyond for their community," the Calgary Police Service said in a statement.
The duck and ducklings were reunited and released at a nearby pond.
The Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation says it receieves lots of calls like this, as many duck families will get stuck on their way to a water source.
"The ducklings are so tiny they just drop right down through the grate," said rehabilitation manager Erin Casper.
She says it's a good thing an emergency official intervened, as they often work with them to remove barriers such as a grate.
Otherwise anyone who may come across a duck family in distress can call the AIWC hotline at 403-946-2361, available year-round.
