Greenfield Firefighters Save 12 Ducklings Trapped in Sewer Drain

Greenfield firefighters pulled 12 ducklings out of the sewer drain Monday morning.

The department posted pictures of the rescue on its Facebook page Monday morning.

The department says an anonymous caller found an upset mother duck, and saw the ducklings inside the sewer drain.

Firefighters say they pulled the ducklings out, and reunited them with the mother duck.

Firefighters say this happens a couple times every spring, so they have nets on the fire truck so they can rescue trapped baby ducks.

Greenfield firefighter Richard Shircel explained, "Try to scoop up as many as possible, a lot of times the mother duck will be close on hand trying to call for the baby ducks to come back. If they drop into a sewer pipe, we’ll drop down a hose and try to flush out and try to catch the rest of the ducks."

Experts at Wisconsin Humane Society say the ducklings probably just climbed out of the nest, and were following mom to water, but fell right through the holes in the sewer drain.

Crystal Sharlow-Schaefer with the Humane Society says ducklings commonly get separated from their mothers during this time of year.

The Humane Society is currently caring for 83 orphaned ducklings.

Sharlow-Schaefer said, "We call it the lucky duckling that finds its way into our animal hospital here."

The ducklings are cared for until they’re old enough to be released back into the wild. Sharlow-Schaefer says she expects the Wisconsin Humane Society to take in many more ducklings throughout the spring and summer.

Firefighters say if you find ducks in the sewer, don't try to climb in and save them, instead call the fire department.

Also, experts at the Humane Society say if you see a stranded duckling; don't try to take it as a pet, instead call the Humane Society so they can pick it up.