Cheep Thrills: DEC Officer Rescues 2 HV Duckling Families In 1 Day

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Back-to-back duckling rescuer Daniel Franz spent most of one day recently delicately picking up tiny balls of down and moving them — and in one case their mother — to more welcoming environments.

Franz is an Environmental Conservation Police officer with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, so he's done his share of animal rescues. "If there's one part of the year we get these calls more frequently, it's this time," he told Patch Thursday.

The first call June 6 was from someone who had heard cheeps coming from a storm drain on his company's property. The good samaritan called the DEC and made a cardboard sign with an arrow so Franz couldn't miss it.

It took some elbow grease and determination to dislodge the grate as the mother hovered nearby. "I could hear her from the woods right behind where the storm drain is, and I saw her fly over twice," he said.

So once he collected all six, he put them down right next to the trees and the mama duck came right over. "I saw her turn to walk away, and the ducklings followed her right in a line."

The second call was to an apartment building in New Rochelle — one of those where the roof is flat, the parapets are high and residents have access.

One observed a mother duck nesting and called the DEC.

Why she picked there, who knows? "There is a nice pond and a beautiful area for her to raise her babies right across the street," Franz laughed. "For some reason she decided to do it on the roof."

When he got there, the mother was actually sitting on her offspring.

"The trick is to get the mom in first — if anyone is going to get away, it's her," he said. He captured her in a tote bag. Then he picked up the ducklings, and took them all down to the pond.

Two in one day is unusual, but the outcome was worth it, he said. "One was low and one was high. Both were reunited with their families and happy ever after."

Editor's Note: ECO Franz's job was mis-named in the original version of this report. Patch regrets the error.