It's a sure sign of spring in Missoula with what can be described as urban duck rescues.
Missoula firefighters were pressed into service as duck wranglers Friday morning when customers and staff at the Starbucks on Brooks noticed some peeps coming from the storm drain. And sure enough, firefighters found three ducklings.
That's when the rodeo began. After a search of the neighborhood, firefighters found mama and eight more ducklings right in the middle of the busy Missoula Post Office parking lot. Knowing that's no place for a duck reunion, the big-hearted fire crews tried to get them to safety, and then decided it might be time for transport to the nearest creek.
Then came the lesson that being a duck cowboy isn't the job that it's "quacked" up to be. While the babies were boxed, mama retreated to the roof, prompting an aerial rescue. After nearly an hour of improvisation, the family was reunited and left to their own schedule.
And just a few minutes before, the crew from Station 4 had to rescue ducks west of North Reserve. The duck family should expect to see their bill in the coming days.
