Unfortunately these little guys are not the same ducklings featured in the story. These are just generic ducklings.

A Christmas miracle has taken place on Christchurch's Te Rito St.

While families celebrated and opened presents on Christmas Day morning, eight ducklings were fighting for their lives.

But thanks to the bravery of the New Zealand Fire Service, the baby ducks have been reunited with their worried mother.

St Albans Fire Station station officer Peter McArdle said a woman called emergency services about 8.45am on Friday.

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"A young lady has been out for an early morning walk and she came across a mummy duck whose ducklings had gone down a drain, all eight of them.

"So she ran home and rang around trying to find somebody to come rescue them and she couldn't find anybody so she rung the fire service, so we obliged and went and got the ducklings out."

McArdle said the operation, referred to as a "mass rescue" by a Fire Service spokesman, was over pretty quickly.

"It was just a case of lifting the grating and reaching down and getting them out.

"We put one of the guys down and we held onto him so he wouldn't fall into it and basically that's it."

McArdle said the Christmas Day saga had a happy ending.

"The mummy was happy to have her family and took off with the ducklings."