Broward County

Mama duck attacks firefighter trying to rescue her babies from a drain, video shows

Ducks falling into a storm drain is a common occurrence in South Florida.

What is not so common?

A firefighter getting the wrath of a protective mama duck as he tried to pluck her four babies from a Lauderhill drain.

“Another reason why firefighting is a risky job,” the department tweeted along with video of the Tuesday morning incident.

Lauderhill’s Engine 30 responded to the call of ducks in a drain at 5510 West Oakland Park Blvd. Tuesday. Firefighter Greg Marrero was plucking the fallen ducklings one-by-one when the mother duck took a strike at his head, video shows.

Marerro was “startled” but not injured, said Jeff Levy, assistant fire chief.

“You never know what you are going to encounter each day,” he said. “This is an example of what could happen.”

This story was originally published July 23, 2019 at 7:58 PM.

Carli Teproff
Miami Herald
Carli Teproff grew up in Northeast Miami-Dade and graduated from Florida International University in 2003. She became a full-time reporter for the Miami Herald in 2005 and now covers breaking news.
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