12 ducklings rescued from San Mateo storm drain, reunited with mom by local agencies

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- It was a draining day for 12 ducklings who fell into a drain in San Mateo, but Humane Society and fire department workers rescued them and reunited them with their mother Wednesday.

When a resident saw the distraught mother duck pacing near a storm drain on Saratoga Drive and heard the cries of the ducklings trapped under the storm grate Wednesday afternoon, she called the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA.

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"The Fire Department removed the storm grate and our staff were able to safely net all of the ducklings, bringing them to safety," said PHS/SPCA spokeswoman Buffy Martin Tarbox.

While the rescue was taking place, the mother duck stayed nearby keeping a close eye on the ducklings, Tarbox said.

"Throughout the entire process, the mother duck stayed nearby. Once we had all 12 of the ducklings above ground, we checked them for injuries, and thankfully they were fine despite their ordeal," the spokeswoman said.

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