A South Korean man and the 21 ducklings he has been raising as his children ever since they hatched have been breaking the internet with their incredible bond. A video that recently went viral in the western world shows the cute birds following their “mother” on a mountain hike and listening to his every command.

The middle-aged man, whose name is not revealed in the video, has been taking care of his 21 ducklings ever since they were fertilized eggs, making sure the incubation period went smoothly, and even helping the tiny birds break through their shell when it came time to hatch. He was the first thing they laid eyes on in this world, and he has remained the most important figure in their lives since.

Ducklings naturally follow their mother around, and since the man was the one who acted as their mother, these birds follow him everywhere, even up a mountain. To them it’s only natural, but the middle-aged man considers it training and conditioning for when he finally releases them into the wild. He would love to raise them all as pets, but knows that wouldn’t be ideal for him or the birds, so he’s making sure that they are strong enough to survive in the wild.

The viral video shows the ducks trailing the middle-aged man as he hikes up a mountain outside Seoul, stopping whenever he does and refusing to follow anyone else, even if they utter the same “let’s go” command their human mother does. Unless they hear his voice and see him moving, they don’t budge. It’s actually quite remarkable. I mean, it’s one thing to see dogs acting like this, but ducklings? That’s something else.

While it’s not clear what the man does for a living, I’m pretty sure he has a lot of experience with ducks, as at one point he reveals a certificate for “father of ducklings” dated 2005.

 

“It’s my small dream to visit the sky with these little guys one day,” the man says. Who knows, maybe one day he will.