Drunk good samaritan saves baby bird's life by calling an Uber to transport it to animal hospital
The kindness of a good samaritan ensured that a two-week-old baby bird who had fallen out of its nest was cared for and its life saved.
On June 29, married father-of-two Tim Crowley was drinking with a few of his friends at a home in Clinton, Utah, when he noticed that a small bird had fallen out of a tree, according to Fox13. Since he and all of his friends had been drinking, there was no chance they could drive it to help, so they came up with another idea: they would call an Uber that could transport it instead.
"At first it was a joke, like, 'Hey, maybe we should just call Uber!'," Crowley said. "Then we were like, 'No, really. Why not? We're paying them'." The first driver who they managed to get a hold of canceled after learning about the special, feathered passenger he would be tasked with transporting, but the second one, Christy Guynn, proved to be much more receptive to the idea.
Guynn ensured that the baby bird would have a comfortable journey to its destination, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah, by placing it in a box with padded leaves.
It would be a 25-minute journey, and Guynn said the bird was nothing but a model passenger, though she said she had to turn off the air conditioner and roll down the windows after she noticed that the bird was hiding under the leaves and figured it was feeling cold.
"He wasn't rowdy, he just wanted to eat," she revealed. "It [was] his first Uber ride – and probably his only Uber ride."
The director at the center, Dalyn Marthaler, took to Facebook to share the incredible story, writing, "Another FIRST you WILL NOT BELIEVE!!! What do you do when you find a sick, injured or orphaned wild animal, but you've 'had a few too many?' WELL, this rescuer called an UBER driver!"
"NO, seriously, this little orphaned Lesser Goldfinch was the sole occupant of an Uber vehicle for a ride to WRCNU yesterday," he continued. "While we feel we've seen it all and can't be amazed by anything, there is always SOMEONE out there to prove us wrong."
"Thank you to the rescuer who helped this little one get the care it needed in a timely manner and thank you for keeping yourself safe and others on the road safe as well!" he added.
Marthaler said the bird, who they nicknamed 'Petey' or 'Peter Uber' and which was identified to be a lesser goldfinch, was thin and dehydrated when it arrived at the sanctuary. He said it could have very likely died if it weren't for the actions of Crowley and that it is now set to be released in a few weeks, just in time for the start of migration.