LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., April 13 (UPI) — A 6-year-old California girl put her small arms to good use by rescuing eight ducklings from a narrow drain pipe while her mother filmed.
Skye Rabii of Laguna Niguel said she and her daughter, Mia, 6, had just come out of a doctor’s office Saturday in Laguna Hills when a woman standing nearby with her family asked them for help.
“She had found the mama duck, with only one duckling, looking distressed,” Rabii told the Orange County Register. “It didn’t look right, since ducks have 10, 12 ducklings at a time.”
The ducklings were found to have fallen into a narrow drain pipe missing its cap. The pipe was too small for adult arms, but Mia found she was easily able to reach inside.
“I reminded Mia that she said she always wanted to be a veterinarian,” Rabii said. “She said, ‘I can do it,’ and reached down the pipe up to her shoulders and pulled out eight ducklings, one at a time.”
Rabii said a ninth duckling didn’t survive the ordeal.
The proud mother posted video of Mia’s rescue on YouTube.
“I am incredibly proud of my daughter’s actions to help the smallest beings. Additionally, I am grateful for the family that asked for our help, they tried their best to help the babies, but it required just the right arm size and right attitude to get it done,” she wrote in the video’s description.
