New York ECO Chris DeRose holds rescued ducklings. (New York Department of Environmental Conservation photo)
June 15, 2020
By Game & Fish Staff
If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, chances are you’ve seen a cool video of local heroes helping wildlife in peril.
For one conservation officer in New York, his heroic efforts led him to two reports of lost waterfowl and included a sweet happy ending, according to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation .
On June 2, officer Chris DeRose answered a call from a woman who heard ducklings chirping in a storm drain in Suffolk County. With the help of a Good Samaritan, DeRose removed the storm rain grate, corralled the seven orphaned ducklings and removed them. No adults were seen in the area, so DeRose contacted a wildlife rehabilitator to find them a new home.
While the officer was on his way to deliver the rescued ducklings, he received another birds-in-trouble call; this time a family of ducks had gotten trapped in a near-empty in-ground swimming pool in Nassau County. DeRose and the wildlife rehabilitator responded and, with the help of nets and quick hands, rescued the mallard hen and her six ducklings.
Since all 13 of the ducklings are about the same age, a decision was made to release them with the hen at a nearby lake.
"After release, the hen mallard successfully accepted the orphan ducklings and the family of 14 appeared to enjoy their new home, which is much nicer than a storm drain or a swimming pool," the agency said.
Click to see video of the duck release
Read more DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officer Highlights
