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Cute! Ducklings rescued from Chandler storm drain reunited with mother

By
Published  May 28, 2026 1:26 PM MST
Chandler
FOX 10 Phoenix

The Brief

    • A specialized rescue team from the Arizona Humane Society saved more than a half-dozen ducklings trapped inside a Chandler storm drain on Thursday.
    • Field Operations Coordinator Toma Okmen engineered a creative solution using an extension pole taped to a cat net to safely pull the birds out one by one over two hours.
    • The team successfully reunited the ducklings with their mother on a nearby lake, highlighting the agency's work responding to nearly 9,000 distress calls so far this year.

CHANDLER, Ariz. - A specialized animal rescue team pulled off a dramatic, two-hour rescue on Thursday after more than a half-dozen ducklings became trapped inside a storm drain in an East Valley neighborhood.

The Arizona Humane Society’s Animal Rescue and Cruelty Team responded to the Layton Lakes neighborhood in Chandler after a Good Samaritan spotted the stranded ducklings along Queen Creek Road. There was no mother duck in sight, and the birds had no way out of the drain.

AHS Field Operations Coordinator Toma Okmen arrived at the scene, located the ducklings and engineered a creative rescue plan. Okmen removed the heavy storm drain grate and used an extension pole with a cat net taped to the end to safely extract the ducklings one by one.

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Toma Okmen uses an extension pole with a cat net taped to the end. (Arizona Humane Society)

The rescue operation took two hours, but the job wasn't finished once the ducklings were out of the drain.

Okmen then searched the area and located the mother duck on the opposite side of a nearby neighborhood lake, about a 15-minute walk away. The ducklings were successfully reunited with their worried family and were seen happily swimming away.

While the Arizona Humane Society primarily focuses on dogs, cats and other adoptable pets, officials say their specialized team is frequently called to handle all types of animals in dangerous situations.

Big picture view:

The organization used the successful rescue to remind the public of the vital role communities play in watching out for local wildlife and stray animals. So far this year, the AHS Animal Rescue and Cruelty Team has responded to nearly 9,000 calls for animals in distress.

Anyone looking to report sick, injured or abused pets is urged to contact local law enforcement or the Arizona Humane Society at 602-997-7585 ext. 2073.

Map of the area

The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Arizona Humane Society.

ChandlerPets and AnimalsNews