Nine ducklings were rescued Tuesday from a Huntington Beach storm drain after they tried to follow their mother up a curb.

Orange County Animal Care and Huntington Beach Public Works responded at about 11 a.m. to Gothard Street near Huntington Central Park after some concerned motorists stopped and reported the endangered ducklings.

OCAC Director Ryan Drabek said the family of ducks was on its way to the park. The mother duck jumped up on the curb but the babies weren’t quite big enough to land safely and instead fell into the storm drain.

“We do find this happens once in a while,” Drabek said. “Mom ducks are usually good about sticking around so they can reunite with those ducklings.”

Reader Kimberly Norris Wallace took some photos of the rescue and said the mama duck stood on the storm drain quacking until help arrived.

“It’s a good day,” Wallace wrote in her post to the Huntington Beach Wave Facebook page after the babies were safe.

Here’s Norris Wallace’s blog on her experiences with the ducks Tuesday

None of the ducklings was injured and they were safely reunited with their mother, Drabek said.

He added that mallard ducks are protected and that animal control officials can step in to help only if they are hurt, sick, trapped or obstructing traffic.

“We do encourage people to contact us in situations like this,” he said.

If you see an animal in need of rescuing, call 714-935-6848.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7953 or jfletcher@ocregister.com

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