Lucky duckies saved after falling down Calgary storm drain
Eight fuzzy ducklings were rescued from a precarious situation on Friday, thanks to Calgary police and workers from the City of Calgary.
The ducklings had fallen through a private catch basin in the parking lot of the AutoClean Car Wash in Midnapore, and sat quacking at the bottom as their mother stood on the asphalt above, unable to help.
Andrea Stewart works in the nearby Midnapore Business Centre, which backs onto the parking lot, and says she and her colleagues rushed into action.
"One of our tenants came out at 9:30 a.m. to advise us that we had a problem that needed to be dealt with, and then informed us that he had just seen a mama duck and approximately 10 babies walking through the parking lot behind our building, and the babies fell down into the grate."
They called 311 and some local wildlife organizations while they stood over the drain to keep an eye on the ducklings in distress.
Calgary police were the first to arrive on scene, and were able to remove the grate.
Several ducklings that had become trapped in the Calgary community of Midnapore were rescued on Friday, June 2, 2023. "It took them a full 30 minutes to get the sewer grate lifted," said Jennifer Fraser, who works in the business centre.
It was determined there were eight ducklings stuck in the cavern, all of which were desperate to be reunited with their mother.
Luckily for the ducklings, the officer on scene actually had a background in biology.
"This officer, I think he knew exactly the right thing to do," Fraser said. "There had been a lot of onlookers crowding around and I think they were scaring the mom away, but once the officer arrived, he was able to encourage (the people) to sit back, let that mama come and call to her babies and I think that's what really did the trick."
The officer lowered himself into the slender drain, and was able to pick up one duck, placing it down in the parking lot and letting it race over to its mother.
Several ducklings that had become trapped in the Calgary community of Midnapore were rescued on Friday, June 2, 2023. The officer continued to save the stranded fowl, lifting five of the eight to safety, one by one.
"We were cheering –the whole waiting room upstairs was cheering – it was definitely a happy moment."
Several ducklings that had become trapped in the Calgary community of Midnapore were rescued on Friday, June 2, 2023. The remaining three ducklings proved more difficult to liberate, as they continued to run into a pipe connected to the basin, away from their would-be rescuers.
Several ducklings that had become trapped in the Calgary community of Midnapore were rescued on Friday, June 2, 2023. Eventually, workers from the City of Calgary's water services department were able to get the final three ducklings to freedom at around 2:30 p.m., roughly five hours after the ordeal began.
Several ducklings that had become trapped in the Calgary community of Midnapore were rescued on Friday, June 2, 2023.
At that point, the mother duck was nowhere to be found, but a citizen volunteered to take the duckings to a local wildlife centre.
For more information on how to report abandoned, injured or orphaned wildlife, you can visit the City of Calgary's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.
The House is on the brink of approving aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle
The House is preparing in a rare Saturday session to approve US$95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies.