Ducklings Get Reunited With Mom Following Sewer Rescue

There’s nothing more heart rending than a mama who’s been separated from her babies—and that’s true even if the mama in question has webbed feet and waddles. Which is what makes this short but sweet video of a group of ducklings, rescued from a sewer drain, being reunited with their mom so very, very compelling. The Shakopee, Minnesota Fire Department received a call in May 2019 about a bunch of ducklings who’d fallen down a sewer drain and were unable to get back out—nor was their frantic mama duck able to get to them.

This might have been a story with a very different (and much sadder) ending if not for the compassion and quick thinking of the brave men and women of the Shakopee Fire Department, who were able to rescue the ducklings with a minimum of fuss and see them safely returned to their loving mom’s care. The joy with which ducklings and mama duck greet their reunion is the kind of thing that will bring tears to your eyes (at least it will if you’re as soft a touch for animals as we are) and is likely to give you a feel good glow for the rest of your day.

Everyone remembers what it felt like to be a small child in a giant store and lose sight of your mom for a few seconds—how frightening it was, and how elated you were once you sighted your mom again and knew that everything was going to be okay. So you don’t actually have to be a duckling to relate to the joy these babies feel when they see their mom for the first time following their rescue.

It’s the kind of universal feeling of love and security we all remember from when we were young, and that we feel an undeniable joy in getting to relive, even for brief moments, now that we’re grown up. So do yourself a favor and hit the Play without losing any more time—time that could be better spent, say, sharing this video with other animal enthusiasts. And then maybe give your own mom a phone call (which is exactly what we plan to do the second we finish watching this video for the fifth time!). You may have gotten used to living your grown-up life without her a long time ago, but we’re still betting she’d love to hear from you…