Duck crossing: What to do when you encounter ducklings and goslings

Lucky ducks at Hope For Wildlife Hope Swinamer shares timely tips should you encounter wayward ducks on Maritime roadways.

HALIFAX — It's the time of year when it's not uncommon to see a mom and her ducklings crossing a road, but sadly some don't make it.

Hope Swinimer from Hope for Wildlife, has some advice for people on what to do when they meet up with the adorable babies.

"Most of the reason that we get the baby ducklings in is because they're trying to cross the roads and the big highways, and sadly, often the mom gets hit and the babies are left behind," says Swinimer, who cares for dozens of ducklings and goslings.

When people find orphan ducklings, Swinimer says they often take them home and their instinct is to put them in the bathtub right away.

"That's actually one of the worst things you can do," Swinimer says. "Surprisingly they need a lot of heat. So when they arrive, you should get them on a heating pad on low."

According to Swinimer, baby ducklings and goslings get their waterproofing from their mother. They can become waterlogged if you decide to give them a swim.

Ducklings need to develop a gland at the base of their tail to get their waterproofing, Swinimer says.

When the ducklings first arrive at Hope For Wildlife, the non-profit group will only do supervised swims for about 10 minutes at a time, two or three times a day.

If you’ve rescued ducklings or goslings, it's important to hold them for as short a period of time as possible until Hope for Wildlife can pick them up and place them with other ducklings. That way, they won't get imprinted on humans.

Swinimer says she has 25 ducklings and 17 goslings in her care already, and the number changes daily.

"It is a dangerous time for driving, so really keep your eyes open," Swinimer says.

If you do see ducklings crossing the road, do try not to stop abruptly, try and pull over to the side.

"The police are more than willing to help in situations like this, to stop traffic so that they can be removed safely," Swinimer says.

The ducklings are rehabilitated in one of Hope for Wildlife's marine units with lots of grass.

"They do the rest of their rehabilitation outside in the sunshine, getting the kinds of foods they need to develop properly," Swinimer says.