Today I saved a duckling!. We live near Moczydełko Park, Warsaw… | by Maksym Zakharko | Jul, 2025

We live near Moczydełko Park, Warsaw, Poland, which has a small pond with ducks. We often go there. Last year we visited with one child — there were only 4 to 6 ducks back then. But this year, we have two kids, and there are baby ducklings in the pond. We fed them as a family and watched them swim and eat the plants along the shore.

The pond is lined with wooden planks, separating it from the shore. Just as we were about to leave after feeding them, I noticed one duckling struggling — its neck was stuck between the planks, and its head was underwater. The more it tried to escape, the worse things became. The mother duck tried to help, but she couldn’t free it. I realized she might lose her baby.

Assessing the situation, I decided to act. I was scared — what if I failed? I could become the first and last human ever to touch it… but I couldn’t just walk away.

I lowered my hand into the water to understand what was going on. The duckling was badly stuck — its thin neck twisting, desperately trying to break free. It resisted fiercely but couldn’t escape. As I approached, the mother duck began attacking me to protect her baby, so I pulled my hand back.

She tried again, flapping her wings and diving down, but couldn’t get him out. So I lowered my hand once more, feeling for a spot where the planks were slightly wider. Carefully, I nudged the duckling toward that gap. It kept resisting, and I was afraid of hurting it. I waited for a moment of calm, gently took hold of its neck and body — and pulled downward.

It worked! The duckling was free.

The emotions at that moment were overwhelming. The mother duck quacked loudly, the baby swam off, followed by the mother, and then all the ducks in the pond.

It was a strange and heartwarming moment. It was the first time I ever touched a duckling — and in such a situation, saving its life. I was afraid I might hurt it, but my instincts told me I had to act, or it could have been its last day.

I’m glad it all worked out. My three-year-old son was next to me the whole time, and a bit further away was my wife with our nine-month-old daughter. My son was thrilled that we saved the duckling and eagerly retold the story to his mom and sister — with lots of excitement.

Everything happened so quickly and oddly that I didn’t even have time to think about how long ducks can stay underwater. There were no photos or videos — my wife was busy chasing our daughter who was trying to crawl into the bushes.

So I decided to write down this story — not just to keep it in memory but to preserve it in words.

Is there a moral? I’m not sure. But today, I saved a duckling!