WATCH: No quacks about it: Mini ‘protest’ ends in rescue as ducklings saved in Limerick

QUICK-thinking locals came to the rescue of a group of ducklings unable to fly in Limerick city centre, after the young birds found themselves in a perilous situation high above the streets.

In an extraordinary display of compassion, members of the public came together to save the group of falling ducklings on Cruises Street.

Joan Burgess, a visitor from Cork, described the scene that unfolded on Cruises Street shortly after she left the Milk Market.

“I noticed a crowd had gathered,” she said. “I joined them looking up at the roof of a building and saw baby ducklings still unable to fly were falling potentially to their doom to the hard concrete below."

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Above them, the distressed mother duck flew anxiously from rooftop to rooftop, unable to guide or rescue her young. Onlookers watched in alarm as the tiny birds tumbled from the height, seemingly facing certain injury.

But within moments, two men stepped forward, improvising a life-saving solution. Using a coat stretched out between them, they positioned themselves beneath the falling ducklings, catching each one before it hit the ground.

A woman in the crowd quickly produced a cardboard box, and the 11 rescued ducklings were safely placed inside.

"A lady had a cardboard box and they were placed inside it to keep them safe. Their quick thinking and compassion have given these chicks a chance of survival... my much battered faith in humanity has been restored," added Joan.

Bobby Mian, one of the men who helped save the ducklings, commented:

"I was just passing through on Cruises Sreet when I noticed a crowd gathering so went over for a look and noticed the ducklings on the roof of one of the buildings. I immediately took off my jacket and myself and another fella used it as a safety net to catch them."

The rescued ducklings were later taken to Animal Magic Wildlife Displays in Kilmallock.

Rosie Campbell of Animal Magic said the ducklings are doing "really well." They were brought to Animal Magic the same day they were rescued in the city centre.

"They did try to get the mum as well but unfortunately she went up on the roof and that was it then but somebody gathered all the ducklings up and kept them warm and brought them out to us.

"They should all survive, they are doing well," said Rosie. "We feed them initially on chock crumbs and mealworms, they eat and drink constantly."

Rosie explained that the ducklings are under a heat lamp and are already starting to eat. "We actually tap the back of their head into the water and the food so they start eating. 

"They were newly hatched. They're tiny little things but the initial sort of 12 hours is pretty crucial with ducklings because when they first hatch, they have a yolk inside them to feed them until the mum can get them to water and start getting them eating and drinking. We have to make sure that they can learn how to eat and drink before that (yolk) runs out."

"It's a common problem at this time of the year where there's lots of people around," concluded Rosie. "The mother duck just gets a little bit frantic and panics and she's trying to get her ducklings safely to the water, but doesn't really want to be walking through crowds of people... That day it was really quite busy on Cruises Street."