Pittsburgh Animal Care and Control officers on Tuesday rescued seven ducks in need of a helping hand in Highland Park.
Officers Jeff Ley and Steve Costa, acting on photos posted to Facebook, spent roughly half an hour gathering the ducks, which were let loose illegally in the park, said Cara Cruz, public safety spokeswoman.
The ducks, known as Pekin or White Pekin, are a domesticated breed raised primarily for meat.
They were tame and friendly and wouldn’t have been able to survive on their own, Pittsburgh Animal Care and Control Supervisor David Madden said.
They were taken to Humane Animal Rescue in the East End.
Animal rescues have been a big part of emergency responders’ jobs recently.
On Friday, Pittsburgh officers rescued five ducklings that had fallen into a sewer grate in front of The Waterworks Cinemas near Fox Chapel. On Saturday, Pittsburgh firefighters and police saved 10 ducklings trapped in a sewer along Kalida Drive in Larimer.
On May 8, 10 ducklings were rescued from a West End storm drain. On May 19, Tarentum police Officer Kurt Jendrejewski rescued six ducklings caught in a similar predicament.
Pittsburgh police also helped a turtle found on a Lawrenceville road on June 11.
