Duckling ramp in US Capitol sets off ‘oohs and ahhs’ — and criticism

Life just got a little easier for D.C. ducklings after two new ramps were installed at the US Capitol Reflecting Pool Tuesday.

The Architect of the Capitol, which manages historic buildings and grounds on Capitol Hill, worked with local rescue and rehabilitation organization City Wildlife to help families of ducks safely make their way in and out of the water.

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The ramps went up as the Architect of the Capitol noticed the warm weather led to an increase in the city’s duckling population.

The animals, including the four families of mallards that call the pool home, often had trouble climbing in and out of its "gently sloped limestone," Erin Courtney, a spokesman for the Architect's office, shared in an online statement.

Unfortunately, the cute factor wasn’t justifiable enough for some.

Shortly after the ramps went up, Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) took to Twitter to criticize waste of government funds.

But Walker’s tweet invited its own set of critics, most of whom appreciated the new ramps.

Courtney's online statement did not include the ramps' cost or whether government employees used work hours to install them.

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But Anne Lewis, president of City Wildlife, told the New York Times the ramp could be the difference between life and death for the animals.

If the ducklings get into the water, which they often do, and then can’t get out, “they will drown from exhaustion or die of starvation unless they have a way to get out of the water,” Lewis said.

Read the Architect of the Capitol’s online statement.