Orphaned ducklings have an adorable but odd habit of latching on to the first warm body they see. They’re not especially particular about it, either – human, dog, really any species will do.
But this brood of orphaned ducklings will have more of a traditional upbringing, and it’s all thanks to a Michigan animal control officer.
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Earlier this month, Diane Desrosiers discovered the ten ducklings waddling across a freeway in Southgate, near Detroit. So she stopped traffic long enough to gather them up in a pet carrier and brought them to the South Winds Golf Club. She thought she’d release them in one of the ponds there and they could hopefully take care of themselves.
What she didn’t know is the pond already has a resident duck, Stella, who has her wings full caring for her own babies.
Golf teacher Chris Grandy, found Stella last month, nestled in a patch of grass with her nine still-unhatched eggs. He alerted the staff and told them to make sure they stayed safe, but Mom and her brood were spotted last week wandering around the pond where they’ve stayed ever since.
When Diane showed up with the ducklings, that’s where he suggested she put them, although neither was sure how they’d fare.
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As the ducklings plop into the water one by one, Stella notices the ruckus and zooms over with a giant flap of her wings. The ducklings huddle in a cluster as she closes in, and you almost feel sorry for them because it looks like Stella’s about to chase them off.
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But in an amazing act of compassion (or just maternal instinct), Stella swims up to them and turns. The kiddos fall in step behind her, and they all swim back toward their new brothers and sisters.
“She’s basically saying, ‘Follow me,’”Diane says.
“I’ve seen a lot of animal things over the years. Nothing will top this one,”Chris later said, calling this impromptu adoption “the most precious kind of thing I’ve ever witnessed.â€
Watch Stella bring these orphans into the family fold in the clip below, and share if you agree it’s the cutest thing you’ve seen all day!
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