While walking through Michigan's Hines Park last month, sisters Jessica Lee and Kimberly Ann spotted something seemingly heartwarming in a nearby river. Two ducks swam side-by-side as if they were family members, but the sisters noticed a concerning difference between the birds.
[T]hey noticed a duck looking unusually larger than her mallard companion, swimming peacefully in the river,
Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary (MDRS)
wrote on
Facebook
They called us to see if this particular duck belonged in the wild.
When the experts at MDRS reviewed the photos, their hearts dropped instantly. One of the ducks was a wild mallard. But the other duck, all brown and significantly larger than the mallard, appeared to be a domestic species.
Once I saw the picture, I immediately asked if they could secure her," MDRS wrote. "She was a khaki Campbell domestic duck, [who] was no doubt dumped in the location she was at.
As soon as they learned the brown duck didn’t belong in the wild, they did everything to try to coax her out of the water. But sadly, the duck, later named Frida, was too nervous to trust them.
"The scariest part is this poor girl wanted to be saved but was uneasy," Jessica commented on the Facebook post.
But the sisters refused to give up. They continued trying to lure the duck out of the water and eventually jumped in when they realized she was in trouble.
She dove underwater at a point and didn’t come up for a whole minute," Jessica wrote. "Me and Kimberly were frantically trying to find out where she was.
Within seconds, they discovered the reason why Frida was stuck underwater.
"She ended up getting her neck wrapped around a branch underwater," Jessica wrote.
Thankfully, Jessica and Kimberly were close enough to help free Frida from the branch. They worried she might have been injured while underwater, but as soon as she reached the surface, she was just as energized as ever.
"She immediately realized the end goal," Jessica wrote.
You can see more images from Frida’s rescue here:
When they finally reached the shore, the sisters scooped up Frida and carried her to their car. Once in the car, the relieved duck placed her head on her rescuer’s shoulders and snuggled into her for a gratitude-filled hug.
The trio soon arrived at MDRS, where Matthew Lyson and his wife, Theresa, were waiting for Frida. They welcomed her with open arms, gave her a thorough evaluation, and served her the biggest meal she'd had in days.
"She ate for what seemed like 10 minutes straight, poor angel," MDRS wrote.
It’s been a month since Frida’s rescue, and she’s thriving with the other ducks at MDRS. While the two sisters weren’t expecting to conduct a high-stakes rescue when they decided to go to the park the other day, they wouldn’t change a thing — even the messiest parts.
"I would let her poop on me 20 more times because in the end, I know we got her to safety," Jessica wrote.
To help birds like Frida get the care they need, you can donate to Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary here .
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