Here is the background story...almost daily our family takes a walk to Park Monceau because it is absolutely beautiful and we like to be outside! About a month ago we saw a momma duck and her 4 babies swimming around the lake. The next day, there were 3, a day later then 1, then only the momma. So sad!
This past Monday, we were on a walk and saw a different momma duck with her 4 baby ducklings swimming around the lake. So we were so excited - again! Then yesterday, Eden and I went by ourselves and noticed only 3 babies with the momma. We just assumed that there must be a predator eating the babies or something like that.
Today, we were walking around again and we were so excited to see 3 babies again. (Meaning all 3 made it through the night!) As we walked around the lake to get a closer look - we could only find 2 - which was odd because we had just seen all 3! One had literally just disappeared!! As we got closer, the momma started making a lot of noise and was getting really agitated. We went to investigate the area where she was swimming frantically. As we crossed over the little fence and looked down into the lake, we saw the problem -there was a drain right at the edge of the lake -with the metal grate bent upward. The poor baby had drifted too close and had fallen down the drain! Awful!! As we were standing on the grass between the lake and the drain cover we could hear it crying! And every time the momma quacked--it started crying again! It was pitiful! Those of you who know Eden and I well, realize that this was heart breaking for us...Michael tried to lift the drain cover where we could hear the baby, but it was too heavy. (Think big, solid iron drain cover...)
So, we decided to get help from the park personnel. Now, remember, we don't speak French and they don't speak much English...so what happened next was hilarious! We are trying to mime, explain and gesture to three French people that a baby duckling went down the drain and we can hear it crying! Picture me flapping my arms as if I were a duck! Somehow, we explained it well enough that they agreed (reluctantly) to follow us over to the area. Now, of course, the duck was not making any more noise at this point. So, we all waited for a while (they were probably thinking that we were just crazy Americans!) and finally heard it's little cry. Everyone got all excited! But we still couldn't remove the lid to the drain. They went back to the office, and we waited on a bench. We realized that they must have finally believed us because they got a hold of a different guy. He came over with an iron bar to lift the cover and it took two men to lift the top off the drain. At first no one could see or hear the duckling...the hole beneath the drain cover was about 5 or 6 feet down with steep concrete sides... and had a little stream of fast draining water running from the lake. And then all of a sudden he started swimming upstream and we could see him!! We were all so excited:) He would try to swim upstream (toward where he fell in,) but the current would carry him back down. No one could figure out what to do!! We were trying to explain with gestures that we needed a net-and they kept saying they didn't understand what we were saying:) (Because by the way- it is hard to describe a net with just your hands:) Then we tried to mime both a broom and shovel--still no luck! The new guy (who brought the iron bar) spoke a bit more English and he suggested a ladder. So, off they went to get a ladder and low and behold--he showed up with a net too! So next, one of the guys from the first group went down in the hole...and came up dirty and empty handed. And another guy went down...no baby duck. The poor duck was probably exhausted by this time...and I was trying to explain "being tired" (picture me with my head on my hands ) and the lady said to me "Fatigue"--yes! (We are making progress:) The poor duck was also probably scared to death by this point. Then they tried to send the net down, but it was too long. Next came someone who was "second" in command. (This was explained to me in broken English:) She went down, and came up very muddy, but with the baby duck in her bare hands!! Yay! Everyone was clapping and cheering:) The French workers were asking us if we wanted to take a photo--sadly I had no camera with me. Michael and Eden took off to look for the momma and her other 2 babies. They located them and the lady carried the crying little duck to a different part of the lake--dropped him in--and he swam off to be with his family. As he was reunited with his little siblings and momma, the group who saved him started clapping:) Such a great end to an otherwise sad story!! And the Oelzes helped save a baby duck today!!
Here are some pictures that I took yesterday...aren't they adorable??
