'Valiant rescue': Alberta Mounties lift 7 ducklings from sewer

A mother duck and her ducklings are happily back quackingaround Fort McMurray, Alta., after Mountiesrescued the baby birds from the depths of aconcrete storm sewer.

Wood Buffalo RCMPgot the call on Sundayjust before 8 a.m. MT.

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A flock of clumsy ducklingshad fallen into a sewer near the intersection of Ash Way and Lodgepole Way on the city's north side.

When police arrived, they found the mother duck on the street, but there was no sign of her flock.

But then the officersheard 'quack, quack, quack' echoing out of the bottom of the sewer.

One of the officers removed the manhole cover, climbed inside and shimmied down the narrow pipeto save the distressed ducklings.

All seven ducklings were retrieved and reunited withtheir mother, a feat described as a "valiant rescue" byCpl.Erika Laird.

"It's definitely not an everyday occurrence for us. It's an entertaining story for everybody to share around the office, that's for sure," Laird said."It's not uncommon for officers to help with animal rescuesor helpout injured animals, but it's not every day that they end up down a sewer to do it."

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