Duckling Season Has Arrived

Why do we see duckling rescues this time of year?

In the spring, ducklings are born in heavy brush away from a water source. Once ducklings are old enough, the mom will lead them to water. Unfortunately, there can be many obstacles for ducklings and their mom during this journey. 

Recently, Mission Viejo Animal Services received a call for ducklings that had fallen into a storm drain.  When Officer Stewart arrived, mom and dad were standing by in the brush with 4 ducklings while 8 were in a 20-foot storm drain. Officer Stewart was successful at rescuing the uninjured ducklings out of the storm drain safely, and all were released back to mom and dad.  

If you see ducklings that may have been abandoned or whose mother passed away, contact Mission Viejo Animal Services. If you see ducklings trapped in a storm drain - with or without the mother standing by - contact us so we can get them safely back with their mom.  Please do not try to rescue ducklings from the road or a storm drain, it can be very dangerous. Our Animal Services Field team are trained and equipped with the necessary tools to safely rescue these animals.

For more information about ducks and ducklings, view this flier.