Late last month, on a frigid winter afternoon, rescuers from Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary took a long and careful drive along icy roads, searching for animals who needed help.

The rescue team had recently learned about a group of ducks who’d been dumped near a bridge in Grosse Ile Township. All the wild ducks in the area had already left, migrating to warmer climates for the winter. But these ducks, who’d been raised by humans, had no idea what to do, so they shivered in the snow, waiting for help.

ducks hiding under a snow-covered bridge Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary

When rescuers finally arrived, they found the group of six “absolutely beautiful domestic angels” hidden under a bridge, taking refuge in a small patch of water surrounded by ice.

The river was freezing quickly, leaving the ducks without a food source, and the below-zero temperatures threatened frostbite. Team members knew they had to act fast.

ducks hiding under icy bridge Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary

Rescuers placed fencing along the sea wall, creating a barrier so the ducks couldn’t run away. They surrounded the ducks on all sides and carefully corralled them into the makeshift pen.

“Once we were able to coax them out of the water and out onto the ice, it was pretty easy sailing from there,” Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary wrote in a Facebook post.

Team members were pleased to find the ducks were in good spirits.

“They were very sweet and gentle,” the sanctuary wrote.

ducks in pen Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary

The six grateful ducks traveled back to the rescue facility, where staff members got them set up in a comfy spot.

“[T]hey lavished in the soft pile of fresh and dry straw with all the food and water they could possibly eat,” the sanctuary wrote. “Safe, comforted and loved, as it should be with all domestic ducks!”

ducks in pen at sanctuary Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary

Today, these ducks remain at the sanctuary, looking forward to warmer days ahead.

“They are all doing very well,” a representative from Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary told The Dodo. “[They] will spend the rest of their lives here.”

To help other birds like these ducks, you can make a donation to Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary. Woman Spots 'Magnificent' Bird On Mountain Road — And Realizes He Needs HelpWoman Spots ‘Magnificent’ Bird On Mountain Road — And Realizes He Needs HelpHe was so far from home.