Cat Adopts Five Abandoned Ducklings and Now Guards Them Like Her Own

Wildlife rescuers at the Green Valley Animal Sanctuary in Oregon were expecting a challenge when five orphaned ducklings arrived last month — what they didn't expect was their resident rescue cat, Luna, to immediately appoint herself as their surrogate mother. Within hours of the ducklings' arrival, Luna had settled herself into the corner of the enclosure and begun grooming them. When staff attempted to separate her for feeding time, she became visibly distressed. "We've seen unlikely animal bonds before," said sanctuary director Karen Mills, "but this is something else entirely. Luna watches over them constantly. She herds them back together when they wander. She's more attentive than most actual duck mothers we've cared for." The ducklings, apparently unbothered by the unusual arrangement, can frequently be found sleeping in a pile against Luna's belly. Photos and videos of the unlikely family have gone viral across multiple platforms, accumulating over 30 million views in under two weeks. Offers to adopt the group together have reportedly been flooding the sanctuary's inbox.