COLUMBUS, Ind. – There is no truth to the rumor that the Columbus Fire Department (CFD) is going to be renamed the Columbus Fire and Duckling Rescue Department. Firefighters from Fire Station #5 responded to Dirtbuster Car Wash, just off of Jonathan Moore Pike, on Saturday at around 7 a.m., after receiving a report of several ducklings stuck inside the business.
When crews arrived they found a mother duck and two ducklings near a floor drain that spans the entire length of the car wash. Additional baby ducks were then discovered that had entered the floor drain near the area that the mother duck and the first two ducklings were found.
Firefighters removed the floor drain covering and safely rescued four more ducklings which were turned over for evaluation to a waiting Columbus Animal Care Services staff. They cleaned the ducklings, ensured there were no injuries, and then released them to the anxious mother duck who directed the family to a nearby retention pond.
It is the third duckling rescue for station #5 in the past two weeks. With the increased volume of animal rescue calls on the city’s west side, which contains numerous lakes and retention ponds, CFD asks motorists and pedestrians to remain vigilant about wildlife encounters.
