A mama duck suddenly found herself alone on the street Wednesday afternoon after the brood waddling along beside her disappeared.
Her ducklings had fallen down through the grate of a storm drain on Friars Road in Mission Valley.
County Animal Services and San Diego Police swooped to the rescue. Police directed a traffic break so Animal Control Officer Shalimar Oliver and Reserve Animal Control Officer Nelson Catano could get to work.
After nearly two and a half hours, Mama Duck and her babies were reunited and taken to a nearby pond at Riverwalk Golf Course.
The police officer captured the rescue on tape and the police department posted it on Facebook.
