Houstonians stop Beltway traffic to save 11 orphaned ducklings

Baby ducks make a run for it on Beltway 8 at 290 Thursday morning, May 22, 2014. Baby ducks make a run for it on Beltway 8 at 290 Thursday morning, May 22, 2014. Photo: Photo By HC Investigations Inc. Photo: Photo By HC Investigations Inc. Image 1 of / 27 Caption Close Houstonians stop Beltway traffic to save 11 orphaned ducklings 1 / 27 Back to Gallery

Traffic was brought to a standstill on Beltway 8 at 290 Thursday morning as drivers stopped to save the lives of 11 tiny ducklings roaming and wildly lost on the freeway.

Where traffic would usually speed by sometimes above 70 miles per hour, motorists slowed to a stop, at first noticing the dead body of the mother duck. Drivers then got out of their cars and started trying to round up the orphans.

"Traffic was slowing, I looked and could see a dead duck and it was the mother," said Hunter Cox of HC investigations Inc. "Then I saw the little ducklings were running around sort of lost. All the lanes stopped."

In one of the those cars was Tonya Gust and her 17-year-old daughter Jordan Roe.

"We were scared at first. I didn't even know if I should watch, I didn't want to see anything happen to them," said Gust. "But then everyone started getting out of their cars."

A group of five people can be seen walking out onto the freeway. At first, the tiny ducks prove elusive, but eventually they are scooped up and put in the safety of one of the cars.

"People behind were confused about what was going on," said Cox. "Some people were coming up through the EZ Tag lane at about 60 miles an hour. I wouldn't recommend going out on the freeway to rescue something."

The Good Samaritans managed to round up all 11 ducks and put them loose in one of the cars to take to the Wildlife Center of Texas Rescue Center on Old Katy Road.

Only 10 arrived though. It wasn't until Cox and the others looked back over their photos that they realized one was missing and raised the alarm.

"One spent all day yesterday hiding in the lady's car," said Cox.

That lucky duckling is also now being cared for with the Wildlife Center of Texas.

"I think it's fantastic," said Tonya Gust. "I think it's important that people stop and take the time to help other living creatures and animals instead of being self involved."