As they say, no good deed goes unpunished. Matt Graveling, a reporter for the BBC South, knows this all too well after a much-too-close encounter with a bird of prey.
Gravelling was driving to cover a story when he spotted an unconscious, injured bird on the side of the road who had been hit by a car. Without reservation, the reporter hopped out of his car, picked up the poor bird and laid him on the passenger seat before continuing on his way.
15 minutes later, he got a pleasant surprise, the bird was beginning to open his eyes and regain consciousness. Gravelling’s joy quickly turned to panic when his feathery passenger stood up and began staring at him.
Intimidated by the bird’s sharp beak and talons, Graveling decided it would be best to evacuate the car and leave the angry, confused bird alone. He phoned the RSPCA to deal with the situation. They weren’t able to get there for three-and-a-half hours, leaving Graveling ousted from his own vehicle. Eventually, when they showed up, they were able to safely retrieve the bird and send it to a specialist vet for care.
Gravelling posted the whole ordeal on Twitter where he got retweeted over 7,000 times. Twitter users were quick to point out the breed of the rare hawk, a red kite. They can have wingspans reaching up to 70 inches.
Aside from a car full of bird droppings and a flustered reporter, the story had a happy ending. “I think my favourite thing to come out of this is how many other people are posting their own animal car share stories. It’s nice to know there are still those who would welcome an injured animal into their car, even if they know it will most likely end up pooing on their seats,” Graveling told the Press Association.
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