If there was ever an adorable animal rescue story, it’s this one. Steven Thibeaul, a man from Nahant, Massachusetts, and his pet duck Cheerio, are now the best of friends – after Thibeaul rescued Cheerio from his apartment complex and saved his life!

Let’s go right back to the beginning of this story, when Cheerio and Thiebaul, still strangers to one another, first met.

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Cheerio was in a bit of a situation. He’d found himself in the complex’s pool, and was struggling not to drown. His momma wasn’t around, so Thiebaul took it into his own hands to save him and make sure he was okay.

For the enjoyment of the rest of the world, Thiebaul documented the weeks that followed on Instagram.

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Thiebaul’s idea was that once the duckling was old enough to look after himself, he would be able to go back into the wild with the other ducks. But Cheerio had different ideas!

It turned out that Cheerio and Thiebaul really took to one another. Thiebaul lets Cheerio roam freely, but the little duck always returns to his home once he’s worn out from his adventures.

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Cheerio’s trips into the outdoors involve hanging out with his kind, swimming in the ocean, and doing everything you’d expect from a duck, like eating and sleeping.

But at night, he’s back where he feels the safest – in Thiebaul’s apartment.

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Speaking to The Dodo, Thiebaul said:

“He is pretty much on my schedule so we come to work, he spends most of the day outside and after work we go home. He does have a social life, he has spent time with other ducks which makes me happy, but at the end of the day he chooses me. That could change one day but that’s up to him.”

Bless!

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Sometimes, when an animal partly removes itself from the wild, it can have a hard time fitting in, but according to Thiebaul, this definitely isn’t the case. He said:

“He gets along great with other ducks, especially males. He is a little shy when it comes to the ladies at this point in his life but hopefully that will change. He also hangs out with other duck and geese species like eider ducks, mallards and brant geese who spend their winters here in Nahant. He also has a few seagull buddies too.”

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It truly seems that Thiebaul has taken Cheerio under his wing (sorry) like a true son. He clearly feels responsible for helping Cheerio to reach his peak as a duck after rescuing him back when he was a baby.

Cheerio is quite a fearsome little bird. He has a few cat and dog friends, and even hangs out with Thiebaul’s grandparents’ dog. Not only that, but he has plenty of human friends to support him too. He’s become a favorite at Thiebaul’s complex, and many people stop to give him treats.

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While Cheerio used to hang out on Thiebaul’s shoulder, that’s a little tricky these days, as Cheerio has grown quite a bit since his duckling days. He now prefers to sit next to Thiebaul instead, which is probably wise.

We think Thiebaul and Cheerio’s relationship is one of the purest things we’ve seen this year! If you’re looking for something to “aww!” at, you should definitely check out Cheerio’s Instagram page, @cheeriotheduck, where Thiebaul shares pics of his daily adventures.

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Source: Animal Channel, The Dodo, cheeriotheduck