This made my day: Man rescues bird that was hit by bus, chauffeurs it to Acres

Rescuing any animal is no mean feat, but this man didn't just take an injured bird under his wing — he gave it the VIP treatment.

It all started when the man, who goes by Hantu Bin Jembalang, posted on Facebook group Nature Society (Singapore) on Wednesday (Nov 17) seeking advice on how to nurse an injured bird back to health.

He rescued the bird at Choa Chu Kang Avenue 1 after a bus that was slowing down to pick up school children hit the bird, causing it to fall onto the road, he shared.

Fortunately, he was able to reach it before it was run over.

Sharing photos of the bright green-and-blue bird perched on his finger, he added that the bird appeared to be "in a state of shock".

Eagle-eyed netizens quickly identified it as a hooded pitta, a type of migratory bird, and advised him to contact the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres).

Wasting no time, he set off for Acres with the bird as a "VIP guest", giving it free rein of the entire vehicle.

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Dropping the bird off at what he called a "bird hotel", he bid goodbye to it with the hope that it would receive "room service" soon.

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The heartwarming episode drew a flood of praise from netizens, one of which commented that the man had "such a big heart."

"Such a pretty bird! Thanks for getting it to safety! Hope it will be well enough to be released back into the wild soon," another gushed.

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After some fluids and rest, the bird has recovered from the collision and has since been released, Acres told Mothership.

It may have been one of many pittas flying through Singapore during the migration season, the non-governmental organisation, adding that they had recently rescued more than a few pittas.

Acres is a local charity which advocates for an end to animal cruelty and rescues wild animals.

Members of the public who come across any wild animals which appear to be in distress or severely injured can call the Acres Wildlife Rescue Hotline at 97837782.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com