Ducklings mother and child rescued from nest beside downtown canal

Indianapolis, Indiana – A quick-thinking bystander saved the lives of a mother duck and her six ducklings.

Volunteers at Providence Wildlife Rehabilitation describe the survival of the ducks as a “Christmas miracle” after a passerby reported seeing a female duck sitting on a flower pot’s nest in the freezing Indianapolis Canal Walk downtown.

Six of the eight eggs hatched after the duck and her eggs were transported to the rehabilitation facility. Due to their being frozen, two did not survive.

“Ducks can lay a nest any time of the year. The news and shelters discuss dogs and cats being left out, but wildlife can suffer as well (and no one thinks about that),” said Karen Sauer with Providence Wildlife.

“Providence Wildlife is the only rehabilitation in central Indiana that helps waterfowl as well as other wildlife,” continued Sauer.

So far, names have been given to four of the ducks. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixe were their staff names.