Video: Baby Ducks Saved from Roadway in Orchard Lake
(Crystal A. Proxmire, May 16, 2021)
Orchard Lake, MI – In a stretch of Pontiac Lake Trial near Orchard Lake Nature Sanctuary, a family of ducklings that lost their nest was rescued from traffic and given a new home thanks to a caring officer and two women who stopped to assist.
Officer Matt Grubb of the Orchard Lake Police Department had been driving by Sunday morning just as the fuzzy little creatures rushed towards the roadway after another animal disturbed their nest. The parents were nowhere to be seen. As someone sworn to protect, Grubb felt like he had to help. He put on his lights to alert other other drivers, and got out to try and catch them.
Janenia Wells of Bloomfield Township had been on her way to church when she saw the commotion. In spite of her clean white church clothes, she dove into action to help.
“I was coming by and the officer, you could see, was trying to help the ducklings. And every time he would try to get them to come one way they would go the opposite way,” Wells told Oakland County Times. “I just got out, like if I stood in the opposite direction we could steer them the way we wanted them to go.”
That’s when Suzanne Sanders, who lives in the neighborhood, also stopped to help. She and Wells scooped up four baby ducks and put them in a reusable Marshall’s department store shopping bag. One baby duck ran away back into the woods. “He got out and ran across. I’m happy he’s not in the street, but he’s by himself,” Wells said.
And one last stubborn duckling sought shelter under the officer’s patrol car. As traffic continued along side of the car, Officer Grubb used a long metal jimmy stick, normally used for unlocking cars, to nudge the baby duck towards the shoulder where Sanders was able to snag it and put it in the bag with the others.
Her reward was going home with her shirt adorned with nervous duckling waste and dirt from the roadway – and possibly a new family.
“I’ve raised ducklings before. We still have the pen, but we haven’t had any ducks for a while. I gave that up. I thought I was done at least,” she said.
After talking with the officer, Sanders agreed to take the ducklings home but with the intent of finding someone else to take them. “If I can’t find them a new home, then I’ll keep them,” she said.
Either way, thanks to three strangers coming together, the five little ducklings are safe.
For more interesting animal stories check out the Oakland County Times Animals/Pets section.