Even with the realistic, reassuring quacking sounds coming from his mobile phone, it took Louisiana firefighter Cody Knecht about 90 minutes to catch the first four baby mallards in the south-east Louisiana community of Slidell. Chad Duffaut of St Tammany Fire District said Mr Knecht rescued the two others. After giving them about an hour to calm down, all six ducklings were reunited with their mother in the canal behind a home, where people first reported seeing the babies go into the drain.

This is my kitty Alpha Centari, she always loves to roll up into a little ball.