Ducklings that suddenly found themselves trapped below a narrow grate are now out thanks to the quick thinking of two County animal control officers.
Officers Erik Mansoor and Talia Padilla were called out to Rancho Bernardo near Lake Hodges Tuesday after a duck had been struck and killed by a vehicle. Nearby, her brood was found down inside the drainage openings running alongside the road.
The officers couldn’t lift the grates to get to the birds. What to do? The officers reached for a pair of snake tongs.
Slowly but surely, the officers very delicately lifted out each duckling through the small grates and above ground. They rescued 11 ducklings in all. The birds are now at Project Wildlife.
