Firefighters rescue ducklings while anxious mother duck watches nearby, quacking and pacing

We all know that there is no love like a mother's love -- and apparently, that rule applies to all species.

Firefighters with New Zealand's Titirangi Volunteer Fire Brigade spent their Saturday morning rescuing a bunch of ducklings from a cesspit while their mother anxiously watched, darting back and forth while they diligently worked.

"The mother duck seemed pretty anxious," chief officer Randolph Covich told the BBC. "She was flapping around, so we had to make sure she didn't get run over."

And her worry wasn't without reason.

Ducklings rely heavily on their mother for survival for their first few months of life, as she provides protection and warmth. It takes about 60 days for ducklings to learn how to fly and, therefore, become independent.

Without the help of the firefighters, the ducklings' outlook would have not been so good.

After successfully removing all the babies from their precarious situation, the firefighters collected them in a traffic cone and reunited them with their ecstatic momma on nearby patch of grass, further away from the road.

Then, the chirping family was on its merry way.

A local news outlet interviewed one of the firefighters involved in the rescue, who was, of course, charmingly humble about the entire experience.

"Are you a hero?" the reporter asked.

"No," said firefighter Alex Justice with a laugh. "Not even a teeny, weeny bit?" The reporter prodded, to which Justice continued shaking his head.

Whether they consider themselves heroes or not, at least the men got to have some fun on the job that day.

Covich said it was the cutest mission he had ever attended in his 33 years on the job.

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