Ducklings Rescued After Mama Duck Struck by Car Near Lake Hodges

RANCHO BERNARDO, CA: Eleven ducklings got a second chance at life this week after their mother was struck and killed by a car in Rancho Bernardo.

Animal rescue officers with the County of San Diego responded to an area near Lake Hodges Tuesday upon receiving reports that the ducklings were trapped inside drainage openings that run parallel to a roadway.

But when Officers Erik Mansoor and Talia Padilla realized they couldn't lift the grates to get to the birds, they had to come up with a Plan B.

They decided to use a pair of snake tongs to slowly but surely lift each duckling through the small grates and above ground. 

The brood is currently being cared for at Project Wildlife, a program of the San Diego County Humane Society, officials said Wednesday.