Mama duck and 11 babies rescued from Connecticut plaza

May 15 (UPI) -- Authorities in Connecticut came to the rescue of a mother duck and 11 ducklings found stranded in an isolated downtown plaza.

The Stamford Police Department said Lynne Colatrella of the Stamford Downtown Special Services District teamed up with Animal Control Officer John Franzetti, security guard Omar Riofrio and a crew of gardeners when the mother duck and her 11 freshly hatched babies were spotted on Landmark Plaza.

"Franzetti returned to the scene 3 times to make sure they had safely captured all 11 babies," the department said in a Facebook post.

The 11 babies and their mother were released at the Mill River.

"Legend has it that the same mother duck has laid her eggs there in that safe courtyard for the past 4 years," police wrote.