Waddling across a Warsaw expressway, a brood of wild sea ducks brought traffic to a halt as volunteers held motorists at bay -- an annual ritual to protect the bustling Polish capital's famous ducklings.
Every spring, dozens of days-old ducklings must make the risky trek from a centrally located park where they hatch to the Vistula river.
kAm{@42= G@=F?E66CD 2C6 >@3:=:D65 E@ 96=A 6?DFC6 E96:C D276 A2DD286[ D4C2>3=:?8 :? 9:\G:D G6DED E@ DE@A 42CD 2?5 D96A96C5 E96 3:C5D 24C@DD @?6 @7 (2CD2HVD 3FD:6DE C@25D]k^Am
kAm(255=:?8 E9C@F89 E96 4:EJ @7 `]g >:==:@? A6@A=6[ E96 8C@FAD @7 >6C82?D6CD \\ 7:D9\62E:?8 D62 5F4<D \\ 2C6 =65 3J E96:C D:=G6C\762E96C65 >@E96CD[ H:E9 E96:C 5:DE:?4E:G6 3C@H? 9625 4C6DED]k^Am
kAmQ(6 42== >6C82?D6CD 2>32DD25@CD @7 (2CD2HVD H:=5=:76 \\ @C @FC 46=63C:E:6D[Q D2:5 q2C32C2 #@K2=D<2 7C@> E96 4:EJ A2C<D 56A2CE>6?E]k^Am
kAm$96 H2D DA62<:?8 @G6C E96 CF>3=6 @7 E96 D:I\=2?6 6IAC6DDH2J \\ Q@?6 @7 E96 3:886DE E9C62EDQ 7@C E96 H:=5 3:C5D @? E96:C <:=@>6EC6\=@?8 ;@FC?6J]k^Am
kAm#@K2=D<2 :D :? 492C86 @7 4@@C5:?2E:?8 E96 G@=F?E66CD[ H9@[ E9C@F89 pAC:= 2?5 |2J[ >@?:E@C E96 A2C< 2?5 EC66 42G:E:6D H96C6 5F4<D =2J E96:C 688D 2?5 E96 A@DD:3=6 C@FE6D E96J >2J E2<6 E@H2C5D E96 C:G6C]k^Am
kAmpC@F?5 b_ A6@A=6 \\ EC2:?65 3J E96 4:EJVD @C?:E9@=@8:DE \\ E2<6 EFC?D E@ DE2J 2=6CE 7@C 2?J D:89E:?8 @7 E96 >6C82?D6CD]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 2 3:E =:<6 36:?8 @? 42== 2E E96 244:56?E 2?5 6>6C86?4J 56A2CE>6?E \\ J@F 86E 2 42== 2?5 J@F 92G6 E@ 8@[ ?@ >2EE6C :7 :EVD 2E 52H? @C :? E96 27E6C?@@?[Q #@K2=D<2Â E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm%96 2CC2J @7 E9C62ED :D ?@E =:>:E65 E@ C@25 EC277:4]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 2C6 D628F==D 2?5 4C@HD[ H9:49 42? D?2E49 2 49:4< E92E 86ED 2H2J 7C@> :ED >@E96C 7@C 2 >@>6?E] %96C6 2C6 2=D@ AC652E@CJ 7:D9 E92E 42? 5C28 2 49:4< F?56CH2E6C[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ }@ 9@?<:?8 \k^9am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 7:CDE >6C82?D6C >F>D E@ 4C@DD E9:D D62D@? E@@< 2=>@DE ac 9@FCD E@ >2<6 :E 7C@> E96 A2C< E@ E96 C:G6C[ E6DE:?8 E96 A2E:6?46 @7 E96 G@=F?E66CD >@?:E@C:?8 E96:C 6G6CJ DE6A 2?5 DEF>3=6]k^Am
kAm%92E :?4=F565 E96 `` 9@FCD E96 3:C5D DA6?E ?6DE=65 :? E96 C@25D:56 8C66?6CJ[ H2:E:?8 7@C E96:C >@>6?E]k^Am
kAms2C:2 vCK6D:6<[ bg[ @? 5FEJ[ 42==65 :E 2 QG6CJ 5:77:4F=E 52JQ 7@C 96C E62>]k^Am
kAmQqFE @?46 D96 D6E @77 2?5 3682? >2<:?8 96C H2J E@H2C5D E96 ':DEF=2]]] E96 72E:8F6 H2D 8@?6] %96C6 H2D @?=J E96 D2E:D724E:@? @7 92G:?8 DF446DD7F==J 8F:565 96C D276=J 2=@?8 E96 H2J[Q vCK6D:6< E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm%96 G@=F?E66CDV ;@3 :?G@=G6D 2D<:?8 A2DD6CD3J E@ <66A E96:C 5:DE2?46 2?5 AFE E96:C 5@8D @? 2 =62D9]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ E2<6 @? E96 E2D< @7 6IA=2:?:?8 E@ 5C:G6CD H9J E96 EC277:4 ?665D E@ 36 DE@AA65 \\ ?@C>2==J @?=J 7@C 2 76H >:?FE6D]k^Am
kAmpD E96:C 677@CED 92G6 82:?65 EC24E:@? 2?5 E96 3:C5D 92G6 D9@E E@ =@42= 72>6[ E96C6 :D >@C6 F?56CDE2?5:?8 2>@?8 E9@D6 D2E 369:?5 E96 H966=[ vCK6D:6< D2:5]k^Am
kAm~?6 A6CD@?[ D96 C64@F?E65[ QH2D 86EE:?8 FAD6E E92E H6 DE@AA65 EC277:4Q]k^Am
kAmqFE QE96 @E96C 5C:G6CD D:>A=J 6IA=2:?65 E@ 9:> E92E 96 D9@F=5 42=> 5@H? \\ 3642FD6 >6C82?D6CD 2C6 4@>:?8Q]k^Am
kAm3FC\>>A^;4^;93k^Am



