For a few tense moments Wednesday, 11 newborn ducklings were trapped beneath a sewer grate on the Creighton University campus.

Maybe mom thought it was a safe place to be. Creighton officials brought in the heavy equipment and the grate was lifted.

“I think people in general look to try and extend themselves when they get an opportunity and everybody here certainly did,” said Creighton’s Ed Austin. “Folks went off to get chains and sledgehammers and call the Human Society, you know, for their assistance."

It took heavy machinery to lift the grate and then the Humane Society rescued the baby mallards and carried them off to the truck after waiting for mom to come back.

"The mom flew away,” said the Nebraska Humane Society’s Ernie Taylor. “I tried to wait around so I could reunite her with her babies, but I couldn't do it."

Laura Stastny of Nebraska Wildlife Rehab Incorporated paid the little mallards a visit at the Humane Society. “The best mother for a baby animal is its own mother so what we're gonna do now is we're going to contact Creighton, we know mom is in the area, take the babies back and reunite them with mother, make sure they stay with mother. If we have any problems, we'll take them into care."

Everyone is hoping that after all the effort to save the little ones, the entire family will be back together. Nebraska Wildlife Incorporated is on the scene at Creighton and will try to reunite the ducklings with their mother. If that doesn't work, the little waddlers will be fostered with another mother mallard.