The spring season is such a beautiful one. If you live near water, you’ve likely seen geese and ducks caring for their offspring. The parents are always close by, and if you ever get too close, you’ll know to back off by the alarming nature of their squawks and hisses.
The love that these birds have for their babies is incredible. In times of trouble though, just like humans, they will reach out for help in any way that they know how.
That’s what happened to one duck in Burton Bradstock in West Dorset UK. A couple was vacationing there and were surprised to hear quacking outside of their door. When they opened the door, they saw the duck and her babies standing there quite upset. After looking around for a few minutes, they heard some faint quacks beneath a manhole cover and immediately understood what the mother duck was trying to convey. Some of her babies were trapped underneath!
How the iPad Saved the Day
The couple called the area’s sewer workers at Wessex Water to let them know what was going on. They rushed over to the area and found two ducklings down the drain. They had floated away from the manhole, which made it impossible to reach them.
After a few minutes of brainstorming, one had the idea of recording the mother’s quaking on an iPad. The sound was then played back down the manhole.
It worked! As soon as the two ducklings heard their mother’s screams, they started to swim back to the manhole cover and they were able to be scooped up with a plastic colander.
Once captured, they were placed with their mother and siblings in a nearby stream.
What happened when they were all reunited? It’s enough to make you shed a tear. The mother and siblings were so excited to see the two ducklings by thrashing in the water for a minute. They then peacefully floated down the stream together as a family.
It was a touching scene for everyone that was there thanks to the awesome recording and playback functionality of an iPad.