Baby ducklings saved from Ann Arbor storm sewer drain
Photo courtesy of Kelly Laughter
Kelly Laughter didn’t expect to be crawling through the grass this morning when she walked out the door in a dress ready to start her work week.
But just after 7 a.m., less than a mile from her southwest Ann Arbor home, Laughter encountered a mallard duck walking in circles in the street and knew something wasn’t right. Call it “mom radar,” or just a sense of trouble, she said, but it was enough to make her pull over and take a second look.
Laughter peered down a nearby storm sewer drain at the corner of Scio Church Road and Greenview Drive. There, floating around in the dark, were several baby ducklings not any larger than a fist, Laughter said.
“They were the cutest little things, peeping there. It just broke your heart,” she said. “I wasn’t just going to leave and hope that everything was going to turn out OK because it would be terrible if the mother was killed by a car.”
Laughter pulled out her cell phone and made a couple of calls, thinking she could find a rescue agency open to give the troubled mother duck some help.
Laughter’s husband showed up minutes later with a dog chain and used it to pop off the storm sewer grate. From there, he pulled out a pooper scooper—freshly cleaned for the occasion—and was able to safely pull one of the young animals out before assistance from the Ann Arbor Police and Humane Society of Huron Valley arrived at the scene.
Before she knew it, everyone was on their hands and knees trying various rescue methods, she said.
Eventually, city water workers popped off other nearby grates to block the drain exits and used water from a nearby fire hydrant to control the water flow and move the ducks towards a net.
The first few ducks were returned safely to their mother, but as the rest were pulled out, rescuers realized she had taken off with her young. The remaining babies were sent to a private animal rehabilitator, who will take careful care of them until they are old enough to survive on their own, said David Palmer, an animal rescue driver for the Humane Society.
“They were definitely healthy,” Palmer said. “It was a team win.”
Laughter admitted she had a few grass stains when she walked in the door at a Detroit office—two hours late after the early morning adventure.
“It was a very different kind of Monday for me,” she said. “It definitely gives me a story to tell.”
Laughter documented the rescue on a Flickr slideshow. View pictures of the rescue here.
Heidi Fenton covers police and courts for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at heidifenton@annarbor.com or 734-623-4673. You also can follow her on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's e-mail newsletters.
Comments
Victoria
Wed, Jun 29, 2011 : 3:55 a.m.
There is a prequel to this story. Mama Duck and her ten ducklings were rescued Sunday night from a three-foot deep window well/drain around the church by the Board of Directors of Arbor Opera Theater,which was meeting in the basement. Mama could fly out but she wouldn't leave her babies. There was no water for the babies to drink in the window well/drain.
jhammer
Wed, Jun 29, 2011 : 6:42 p.m.
I have a pre-prequel to this story. His name is Charles Darwin. He found that ducklings that require so much help within a two day period were not meant to pass on their genes. Sorry to be so cold, you caring people of Ann Arbor. Just clarifying that this is nature at work - and stuff happens out there. Bad stuff.
BobbyJohn
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 6:47 p.m.
Kudos to the citizen who called the humane society for help. But getting the UNDERSTAFFED police department involved and taking them away from their jobs of protecting citizens is not a good decision. This is NOT a job for the police.
Wolf's Bane
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 6:20 p.m.
Great story, great people. Could have done without the Hummer comment though. Totally off base and cruel.
f4phantomII
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 7:55 p.m.
To whom? Lighten up.
jhammer
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 6:08 p.m.
If we were truly compassionate, we'd never let this happen again. I propose the following: Step 1: Fund a five-year study into the effects of storm drains on street roaming waterfowl. Step 2: Consider recommendation to reconfigure entire system... it's the right thing to do. Step 3: Realize there's no budget for it (we spent it all on the study, darn it). Instead, let's just put grates on the storm drains instead so ducklings can't get through. Step 4: Realize the unintented consequence to the baby raccoons... uh-oh! They're cute too! Step 5: Gotta study the raccoons now. And on... Welcome to Ann Arbor. Passionately irrationally compassionate.
jhammer
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 5:25 p.m.
Wow... I'm getting hammered in here. Lemme ask you this folks... if you came upon this situation, yet the only way to save the ducks was to write a personal check to each of the workers and rent the equipment...bill coming to let's say more than a thousand, less than five thousand. Would you authorize it? If so, is there a limit? Whatever it takes because it's the right thing to do? My guess is there's a limit on the "right thing". But it's not your money, is it? It's OUR money. And this has nothing to do with budgets? I may be "uncaring", but I live in a little place called reality. What if this was a group of possums (ugly), or a group of centipedes (gross). I'm willing to bet this is a heartwarming story due to the fact that the ducklings are.... wait for it you deep philosophical thinkers who love all creatures great and small... cute as a button. Seems awfully shallow really.
Skyjockey43
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 5:44 p.m.
Well said. A little bit of perspective goes a long way towards the greater good
Kurt
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 5:17 p.m.
<a href="http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10371_14724-244191--,00.html" rel='nofollow'>http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10371_14724-244191--,00.html</a>
jhammer
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 6 p.m.
Nice. Those ducks will be full grown by October 2... the day we realize that too many ducks is bad for the environment and we start shooting them for sport.
Ricebrnr
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 4:29 p.m.
So the crime here is the ducklings were trespassing in municipal property? mmmm Peking Duckling....
mlivesaline
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 3:44 p.m.
Yes there are caring people out there, and obviously uncaring in here. Yes there are budget issues around but that doesn't mean that you have to totally ignore one over the other. Trying to tie this story with budgetary issues doesn't make any sense. Saving this ducks isn't going to result in more layoffs. Saving these ducks was the right things to do. I applaud Ms. Laughter. If we had more people like her this would be a much better place.
A2K
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 1:54 p.m.
Great story - nice to see caring people are "out there" :O)
jhammer
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 1:47 p.m.
Uh-oh. Just a small amount of digging even shows aa.com's fowl play at work : <a href="http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/peggy-lampmans-thursday-dinnerfeed-grilled-duck-breasts-with-michigan-cherry-sauce/">http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/food-drink/peggy-lampmans-thursday-dinnerfeed-grilled-duck-breasts-with-michigan-cherry-sauce/</a> In all seriousness, this is a nice story. I'm just having some fun. Carry on.
jhammer
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 1:31 p.m.
Pill taken. Still seems odd to me that we would spend resources saving the very same creatures that many people ate for dinner last night at any one of several downtown restaurants (Earle, Vinology, just to name two). Just sayin'.
jhammer
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 2:27 p.m.
Elaine - thanks for trying to sum me up quickly in a judgemental sweep. It's not a matter of caring. It's a matter of what we care about and for. These are hard times, budgets are strapped, layoffs at the city and in our services are here to stay. I choose to care about human issues over our aviary issues. And in times of limited means, we cannot care for everything and everyone. We have to pick and choose because even this lovely story has a bill attached to it (no pun intended that time). I choose humans and our needs first. But I sure am glad we're laying off teachers and increasing class sizes because we saved those Skyline salamanders (or whatever they were) years back. Judge away.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
How long have you lived on this planet jhammer? That's how we do things here. It's called "caring". Try it.
leezee
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 1:18 p.m.
Take a pill jhammer. Nothing wrong with a story that shows people are capable of kindness and compassion.
jhammer
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 1:17 p.m.
@racerx - no worries. Apparently at the scene, the crowds of people said, "Wow. This will cost the taxpayers thousands. Is this really worth it?" The duck then said, "Don't worry, just put it on my bill." Ba-dum-bum. Honestly, I completely agree. Ducks are adorable and all, but our priorities are out of whack and out of scale. Especially when it comes to taxpayer dollars being spent defending ducks, parrots, and the like.
jhammer
Wed, Jun 29, 2011 : 6:38 p.m.
I require assistants every day, but I'm pretty sure you meant assistance. And I think you took my comment out of context unless you believe I'm a bird. I am not.
Wolf's Bane
Wed, Jun 29, 2011 : 12:44 p.m.
Well, if you ever have an accident or require assistants, please reconsider calling anyone for fear of the costs that will be passed on to us, your fellow taxpayer citizens.
racerx
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 1:02 p.m.
If my comments are removed I'll understand why. But, gee, I'm sorry. Humane Society, AAPD and the city's Water Utility department for a few ducklings? Seems as a waste of resources. Aren't these the same departments that will leave dead animal carcasses in the road and let nature take its course instead of removing them? What did Laugther's boss say when she was late for work? Sorry, but I feel as though this was a total waste of time, money and our resources for a few ducklings. This by the same society that allows open firearm season to legally hunt deer each fall. Good grief.
Wolf's Bane
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 6:22 p.m.
You don't understand Karma.
Go Blue
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 12:35 p.m.
Nice to know there are still some people that care about more than just their own little world and respect the living creatures around them, instead of decimating them. Thanks Kelly for caring and for sharing, we all need a big dose of that same conscience.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 12:17 p.m.
Doesn't it do your heart good to know that there are people who will stop in their busy day to help some of God's creatures in distress. May be hope for this old world yet.
Skyjockey43
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 11:12 a.m.
What a great story!! An employer gets to lose two hours of employee productivity so that the employee can get a hero's recognition in A2.com as a wild duck savior! Almost makes me forget about all those hundreds of thousands of people who have been out of work for so long and would give their collective left arms to show up for an actual job on time.
simone66
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 12:52 a.m.
What a lovely story. The city needs to look into duck friendly storm drains to prevent this from happening. I'm sure many ducks and other wildlife have fallen into these drains never to be seen again, but this story should alert them to seriously look into this.
jhammer
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 5:39 p.m.
Step 1: Fund a five-year study into the effects of storm drains on street roaming waterfowl. Step 2: Consider recommendation to reconfigure entire system... it's the right thing to do. Step 3: Realize there's no budget for it (we spent it all on the study, darn it). Let's put grates on the storm drains instead so ducklings can't get through. Step 4: Realize the unintented consequence to the baby raccoons... uh-oh! They're cute too! Step 5: Gotta study the raccoons now. And on...
lynel
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 1:44 a.m.
It was a lovely story and great pictures, but you're kidding about the city looking into duck friendly storm drains, right?
Denise
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 12:11 a.m.
Great story! Kelly is obviously a great caring person!
xmo
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 10:49 p.m.
What a heart warming story! Now the City Water Works will have to re-evaluate their Storm Drain Plan.
huh7891
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 10:33 p.m.
Awesome story, great job to all for the rescue!
Cathie
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 10:15 p.m.
Plaudits to Ms. Laughter, most people would have kept on driving.
jhammer
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 10:14 p.m.
Thank goodness. I almost had to go an entire day without my fix of daily local bird stories. Seriously, is aa.com run by an ostrich or something?
5c0++ H4d13y
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 3:02 p.m.
Thank goodness. I almost had to go an entire day without my fix of daily complaints about what stories aa.com chooses to cover.
Elaine F. Owsley
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 12:19 p.m.
Careful, that outlook will make your heart shrink like the Grinch.
Mr. Ed
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 10 p.m.
Maybe the Duck killer should take care of them as a will of good faith. Just think of the PR it would create.
Atticus F.
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 3:01 p.m.
Says the people who eat 60-70 chickens per year.
Arboriginal
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:30 p.m.
Watch out for the killer Hummer!
f4phantomII
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 9:15 p.m.
Maybe they ducked into the storm drain to avoid the Hummer. Ducked. Shame on me.
jtwilkins
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 12:14 a.m.
They should have made the hummer kid do it. Maybe he could have learned something about the value of life.
Roadman
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:55 p.m.
I knew the allusions to the Hummer incident at McDonald's were coming.
sigdiamond
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:29 p.m.
Awesome.
Roadman
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:24 p.m.
A "real" duckling rescue. How did the mother forget her offspring? How did anyone notice her taking off without the offspring? Now we have orphan duckings, but certainly better than deceased ducklings. "Be kind to our web-footed friends........"
DebD
Wed, Jun 29, 2011 : 2:55 a.m.
We raise chickens. Mother hens are very doting, but we've always been told they cannot count. If she doesn't see it or hear it, she won't know it's missing. Maybe it's the same with ducks.
Wolf's Bane
Tue, Jun 28, 2011 : 6:21 p.m.
It is called flight response. Most animals still possess this gut response to danger.