HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – A growing group of Hillsborough County residents is sounding the alarm over a recurring hazard in their streets: neighborhood storm drains that act as traps for local wildlife.
In just a few days, 154 people have signed a petition urging the Public Works Department to retrofit drainage infrastructure in Tampa-area neighborhoods to prevent baby ducklings and other small animals from falling through the grates.
The movement was sparked by Kayden Ebright, a local resident who launched the petition after witnessing repeated incidents where ducklings became trapped and separated from their mothers. The petition specifically requests that the county install protective bars and smaller openings on drains located near wildlife habitats…