Plucky pheasant survives 'miraculous' 25-mile journey inside a car grille

1:25pm 4th July 2018 

(Updated 1:27pm 4th July 2018)

A plucky pheasant who was hit by a car before getting wedged in the front bumper grille survived a 25-mile journey - and is now back in the wild roaming the countryside!

RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Helen Martindale was called to a home in the Tang Hall area of York on Saturday (23 June) after a man discovered a pheasant stuck in the front grille of his car.

ACO Martindale said:

"The motorist discovered the bird when he returned home from a short drive.

"He thinks he hit the bird whilst on the motorway but was unable to stop at the time.

"When he returned home and checked his vehicle he found the bird stuck in the car grille but miraculously still alive!

"I went along and was able to carefully remove the bird from the front bumper of the car and, amazingly, she didn't seem to be injured."

Continued 

Bird survives being trapped in car grille for around 24 hours

Another bird has had a lucky escape after colliding with a Horsham man’s car and surviving in the vehicle’s grille for around 24 hours.

This comes following the County Times’ report last week on a pigeon which survived a 20 mile journey on the M23 stuck in a van’s air intake pipe after colliding with the vehicle which was travelling at around 60mph.

Tim Harrison, from Wallis Way, described his shock: “I too had a similar situation two weeks ago when I was driving on the A272 in Hampshire at about 50mph and heard a slight bump at the front of the car but could not see what it was.

“At home the next afternoon, some 24 hours after, I heard some scratching from the car as I was pottering around and I was amazed to see this bird sitting in the car grille and moving around!”

Mr Harrison called the RSPCA who arrived swiftly but found no damage to the bird.

He added: “She did not know what bird it was but it looks a little like a corncrake.”

http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/bird-survives-being-trapped-in-car-grille-for-around-24-hours-1-5178290