【庭にカモの卵が！？】孵化から引っ越しまで密着1か月…札幌・住宅街で“母ガモと雛たち”命の大冒険が始まった！＜北海道＞

We headed to the home of Mr. Yamaguchi, who lives in Kita-ku, Sapporo. One day, he suddenly discovered duck eggs in the shade of a satsuki tree in his garden. "I thought it was strange to find soil in a place where there's never any soil normally. And there were eggs," said Mr. Yamaguchi, who discovered the duck eggs. To keep an eye on the ducks, Mr. Yamaguchi set up a camera. There, he could see the mother duck carefully incubating the eggs. He says he occasionally sees ducks flying around the area. There were so many duck eggs in Mr. Yamaguchi's garden. Is it common for ducks to lay eggs in residential areas? "It's not common, but it could happen if you're close to a river," said Masato Minagawa, staff member at Asahiyama Memorial Park. Mr. Yamaguchi's home is about 100 meters from the river. The river provides a natural environment ideal for ducks to live in, making it one of the city's most popular spots. The mother duck chooses a nearby spawning site with few predators. Yamaguchi, wanting to see the ducks through to the hatching, began observing them every few hours each day. His notes are filled with observation records. It's been about a month since the camera was installed. "It's now 3:30 AM. We received a call saying the eggs are about to hatch," said the program director. Program staff rushed to the scene and, together with Yamaguchi, kept an eye on the monitor. "Ah, it moved!" said the program director. Finally, it seemed the chicks had hatched. "That's great! They've hatched," said Yamaguchi. The chicks peek out, croaking softly but powerfully. Then, a few hours later... the mother duck leaves her newly hatched chicks behind and flies out the door. The chicks are surprised by this sudden turn of events. They looked around in a panic. Then... One by one, they desperately chased after their mother. Ducks are born with feathers, which allows them to land gently, making jumping a piece of cake. But... this is their first time in the outside world. They timidly take off. Finally, they're all here! The move begins. "(Q: Is it common for them to move soon after birth?) Once they're all together, they move. They can't survive without aquatic environments, so they move," says Minagawa. Ducks feed on aquatic plants, so they immediately move to the nearest river. But! "Oh, a crow's here!" (Program Director) They're attacked by a crow, their natural enemy. They somehow manage to get out of the garden safely, but the move is full of danger. The life-threatening move has begun. And now they face the next obstacle. It seems it can't quite take its first step onto the road... Gathering up its courage... hop! It takes a step. The other ducklings follow suit and follow suit. "They've come out onto the road. Which way are they heading?" (Program Director) They look right, then left... they proceed, being careful of cars and cyclists. "They've come towards the river." (Program Director) With Yamaguchi watching anxiously, the river is right in front of them. They work together and somehow manage to get over the fence. Now, it's finally time for the river. The mother duck jumps in without hesitation, but the ducklings flounder... seeming to hesitate. Finally, one duck descends! Will they continue on? One after the other, they chase after their friends... "They're all in!" (Program Director) "A weight has been lifted off my shoulders... I'm so relieved." (Yamaguchi) And with that, the matter is closed. After overcoming numerous obstacles, all the ducks made it safely to the river. If you see the mother duck and her ducklings, please keep an eye on them indirectly by warning nearby drivers and cyclists.