Government Takes Ducks Under Its Wing

A duck who hatched her brood under the watchful eyes of the Secret Service took swimmingly to motherhood Sunday, guiding her 11 ducklings unerringly to water with the assistance of three government departments.

Fittingly for a duck who laid a clutch of eggs at the doorstep of the U.S. Treasury, she found a home on public land, in Rock Creek Park, the forested ravine that bisects the capital.

“This is an excellent habitat. We’re happy to take her under our wing,” said Laura Illige, the park’s chief ranger.

The duck, a common mallard, laid a clutch of eggs early last month in a mulch pile at the Treasury Department, next door to the White House.

She quickly became a star tourist attraction on the busy pedestrian plaza. Treasury Department officials erected security barriers to shield the waterfowl from onlookers.

The ducklings hatched Saturday afternoon. Early Sunday, a team of Agriculture Department wildlife specialists transported the family to the creek in a four-vehicle motorcade. National Park Service rangers met them, and a Treasury official had scouted the location in advance.

The mother and her ducklings made for a shady bank on the other side of the creek and disappeared from view.