Two Duckling Rescues: Heartwarming Emergency Services Stories Shared on Mother’s Day

This Mother's Day weekend, two touching duck rescue stories from Washington State were heartwarming reminders that motherhood, even for ducks, can be extremely difficult.

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Ducklings Rescued from I-5 Median by WSP and WSDOT

The Washington State Patrol shared a video yesterday, on May 11, 2025, showing a determined mother duck and her three ducklings stranded on the median of I-5 in Tacoma. The video was originally shared back on April 11, but was re-shared in honor of Mother’s Day.

In the video, a Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper and a Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) worker were just arriving where a momma duck and her ducklings were reported in the lanes of I-5. As the workers got near the ducks, the mother quickly took flight to the right shoulder, and the WSDOT worker followed behind. Her ducklings were left behind on the dangerous stretch of freeway, being too small to follow and can not fly yet.

Two Duck Mom Rescues Just in Time for Mother's Day

The trooper was wearing gloves and using a yellow lid to scoop them up, gently picking up the ducklings while nervously shouting, “Don’t fall, don’t fall!” as they squirmed and tried to run off the end of the lid. The trooper managed to get the three ducklings across multiple lanes of traffic and successfully reunited them with their mom off the highway.

Seattle Fire Crew Saves Ducklings from Storm Drain

But the mamma duck drama wasn’t limited to just I-5. The day before Mother's Day, the Seattle Fire Department responded to a separate rescue with their Engine 34 crew.

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Ducklings had fallen into a storm drain, and the firefighters carefully used a bucket to lift them out. They managed to rejoin the trapped ducklings with their nearby, patiently waiting mother just in time for Mother’s Day.

Kindness on Duty

Whether it’s storm drains or interstate medians, motherhood can be more than challenging. Both incidents are a great reminder that even on busy city streets, a little kindness goes a long way for any species of Mom, whether they are a duck or a human.