Binghamton Ducklings Safe Thanks to Students and Firefighters

A mother duck and nearly a dozen of her ducklings received some help navigating the potentially-hazardous streets of downtown Binghamton.

Two Binghamton University students said a man spotted the young family trying to cross State Street around midday Tuesday.

WATCH: The WNBF News videos at the end of this article.

The pedestrian stopped traffic to help mom and her kids make it safely across the street and into the Metrocenter parking lot.

The man went on his way but the students - senior Nicole Samoylovich of Staten Island and junior Sonny Stellmann of Merrick - wanted to do something to help the ducks get to the river.

They tried without success to encourage the family members to get into a cardboard box so they could be transported to the water.

The mother and her ducklings were suspicious of the offer and managed to elude the helpful hands of the students.

A reporter who happened upon the situation felt compelled to shoot some video of the scene. He then made a few phone calls in an effort to obtain some assistance.

After a short wait, Binghamton Fire Department Squad 21 arrived on State Street. The squad's firefighters were prepared with a box and a net.

They managed to get the ducklings into the box after a few minutes. But the skeptical mom could not be convinced to join her offspring, so she walked with the firefighters and students about five blocks to the Chenango River.

Shortly after 1 p.m., the mother and her somewhat confused ducklings were released on the east bank of the river and then swam off to enjoy a beautiful spring afternoon in the Parlor City.

A downtown Binghamton news story with a happy ending.

WNBF NEWS VIDEOS: First - when we spotted the ducklings around 12:10 p.m. on April 28, 2026. Then - when they arrived at the Chenango River around 1:10 p.m.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @bobjoseph.bsky.social on Bluesky or @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.