VIDEO: How New York Ducks Are Actually Cleaned After an Oil Spill

Ducks being cleaned off with dish soap: an image so classic that it's become a calling card of one of the nation's leading soap brands. But what happens when ducks are actually covered in oil?

Recently, a family of New York ducks ran into that exact predicament when they became covered in a "petroleum product" in a local New York creek. Luckily, environmental conservation officers were nearby to lend a helping hand.

Suspected Spill of "Petroleum Product" Covers Local Ducks

In this real-life scenario, an environmental official received a report about a group of ducks that seemed to be in distress in Suffolk County. The collaborative effort that came next likely saved the animals' lives.

New York Ducks Do Their Best Dawn Dish Soap Commercial Impression

"Environmental Conservation Police Officer DeRose received a report of a possible spill in the Town of Babylon that had polluted a creek and impacted a family of mallard ducks", began a recent post from the NYS DEC on Instagram (below).

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NYS DEC and Sweetbriar Nature Center Help Distressed Ducks

Observing a mother duck and several ducklings covered in what was described as a "petroleum product", the ECO contacted Sweetbriar Nature Center for assistance in cleaning the helpless birds. As it turns out, it's a lot like the commercials.

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In the above video clip, a duck is seen being dunked in a container with what looks like soapy water as it's rinsed by ECO DeRose alongside a staff member from Sweetbriar Nature Center. Unfortunately, this spill was a proverbial drop in the bucket compared to what recently happened further north (below).

On August 24th, it was reported that a massive animal die-off occurred at Ischua Creek in Franklinville, NY due to organic waste from a nearby cheese manufacturing facility. The NYS DEC reported that "tens of thousands" of fish, reptiles, and other animals perished due to the spill.