Get the tissues ready, this video might be enough to get the water works going.
Sarah Young, who loves taking pictures of wildlife, was vacationing in Punta Cana when this duck encounter occurred. She walked up to a pond where she was staying and saw three ducks in the water, one appearing to be lifeless.
As Young continued to watch, she noticed that the West Indian whistling duck that had its head slumped over in the water wasn’t moving, despite the other ducks’ best effort to help. Because of her experience as a photographer, she got her phone out to start recording.
She told USA Today:
“I continued recording as I witnessed the heart-wrenching reaction of her two feathered companions. Their concern and evident affection for their frozen friend painted a haunting yet beautiful tableau.
I start welling up with tears as they gently nudge her until her head flopped backwards into the water.”
Young was assuming the worst, and was blown away as she watched the two able-bodied ducks notice that she was watching, and began to push their ailing friend over towards her.
She wasn’t sure how she was going to help, or what she could do if the duck was already deceased:
“They look at me almost pleadingly as they start nudging her lifeless body towards me. What did they expect me to do? As the possibilities of what I should do swirl in my head, she remained just out of reach.”
It was around that time that Sarah Young noticed that the duck in rough shape was still breathing, and knew that the best way she could be of assistance was to hold the duck’s head above water.
In the video below, you’ll see that Young’s effort to hold the duck’s head straight up and out of the water allowed for the struggling creature to expel the water that it had taken in. And once it was able to do so, it was able to resume its regular duck activities…albeit a little wobbly for just a moment. Luckily, the other two ducks were right there with it to help out.
A number of comments seemed to think that she was just stressed from being chased around by males trying to breed her and she needed a minute to regain her strength. She disagreed, but who really knows why this duck looked down for the count.
Take a look:
Who is cutting onions?
That last part where the duck returns to Young the next day, seemingly to thank her, is incredible as well. She had this to say about whether or not she thought the duck that approached her was one she helped:
“One duck jumped in the water and swam to me. As she swam closer, she playfully nibbled my fingers before rejoining her friends. Was she the same duck? Perhaps. Or maybe she was just looking for a snack. Who’s to say?”
I’d like to think that it was the same duck, and this video is just another example that humans and animals truly are cohabitants on this planet.
