Easter Rescue: Police Save Duck Family Crossing I-5

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, WA - The only way this story could be more holiday-appropriate is if the police had rescued a family of rabbits. On Easter Sunday, state troopers rescued a family of six ducklings and their mother duck as they tried to cross I-5. Perhaps it was an Easter miracle, but no ducks or ducklings were harmed - even as one of the little ones ran across all lanes of traffic.

Helping wildlife cross highways is "pretty common" for them, state police said in a Facebook post about the duck rescue. Animals running across the freeway can pose a danger to drivers, and, of course, the animals themselves.

Near Snoqualmie Pass, the Washington state Department of Transportation is building an actual wildlife bridge over I-90 to reduce animal-car confrontations. Construction of the crossing near Price Creek is underway, and is expected to be complete by 2018. That overpass is for more than just ducks, however. The I-90 Wildlife Coalition says that dozens of species will use the bridge to safely cross the highway, from snails to cougars.

Image via Washington State Patrol