A mother and her ducklings are safely back in False Creek after busting out of Vancouver Police Department headquarters.

Late Sunday afternoon, a concerned citizen called wildlife rescue after seeing a mother duck and her nine ducklings on the ledge of the third floor patio at VPD’s Cambie Street headquarters.  Police responded to the call and found the dabbling ducks attempting to break out of the secure building. Officers determined that the eggs were likely laid in the area of the roof top vegetable garden and remained hidden under the watchful eye of their mother, until it was time for them to fly the coop.

Three officers who had just finished dayshift assisted the wildlife rescue volunteer in corralling the ducklings and gently coaxing them into a box.  The rescuers took the ducklings down to street level where the plan was to entice the mother duck off the patio. As hoped, the mother flew down and followed the wildlife volunteer and the box containing her ducklings toward False Creek.

As the parade made their way towards the water, police and the rescue volunteer stopped traffic, cyclists and the odd dog before the mother and her ducklings were reunited at the water’s edge where they were safely released.

Vancouver Police deserve a special quack … er … thanks!