Saving a Life

Life is all around us.  Sometimes people don’t realize how important life is with every creature. So when something is in need of help it, can be overlooked.  I know not everyone can save everything, but if you see something in need, be it human or animal, would you take a moment of your time to help?  I’ve done so often for animals, big and small.  If I see something where I can take some sort of action to make a difference right then and there, I will do so.  Recently, one of those times came up, and I was surprised on how little help I could get to do a small favor.

I was out with my mother, as we had a lot of errands going on and she was about to take me home.  Though along the way I looked up and saw something moving in some wires on a street light pole across the street from where we were stopped.  I watched and saw wings flap, there was a bird and from what I could tell it was stuck in the wires.  When the light changed and we started to move I got a closer look, sure enough there was a bird in the wires.  I had my mom turn around and we got out of our car to see if we could help.  Though the wires were above the walk sign, which seemed like a good 10 feet.   I did not want to leave that bird, a Chestnut-tailed Starling, trapped up in the wires.  It was laying upside down, the wings were free but it clearly could not get free itself.  There was two other Starlings staying nearby, watching.

My mom decided we’d go to the police to get their help.  It would not take much man power to push a little bird free from some wires.  Though when we got to the Royal Oak Police Department, the officer there was not impressed at all with the case I brought to him.  He told me that they do not handle wildlife, they’d help with cats and dogs but not birds, raccoons or skunks. He told me to call the Humane Society.  When I mentioned I did not know the local branch’s number, he seemed a bit more annoyed and said he’d write it down for me.  He gave me the main number and I took it out to my mom, really annoyed that a life was in trouble and the ‘police’ were not willing to do anything because it’s wild.

So now came the step of calling the Humane Society, the first number just gave us a phone number for the local department.  Though when we called them, we got an answering machine saying they’d get back to us by the end of the day.  This upset me even more so that bird is stuck in those wires and needs help.  Though the places we’re supposed to rely on to help things are out of reach or not helping.  I was not going to just sit back and let the starling hang there.  Though my mom still had another errand to do, I told her to take me home and I was going to walk back to the bird.  I called Miki to get her up and ready to help me.

My mom dropped me off at the house, I came in and grabbed a walking stick.  As Miki was getting ready, I went looking for something that could reach taller than the walking stick and found a double length yardstick.  The yardstick was long and it could double in size.  So I grabbed that and brought it to Miki, we fastly started our walk.  This is something which I knew if saw by the police, they would pull over.  We were going to be messing around in area with power lines.  Though if they stopped to get after us, I would explain the full issue.  I don’t care of the starling is a wild animal.  It needs help.

Miki and I got to the location. When I first saw the starling this time it looked dead, though when we got closer it started moving again.  Miki took the yardstick and strength it out to full length.  Using that, she was able to poke the bird, realizing going for the upper back was not going to get it out of the wires. She changed her spot and pushed right on the lower back of the bird by the tail feathers and was able to push the bird free.  It came falling towards us, though about half way down the wings spread out and the bird flew off to a tree about two blocks away.  The two starlings that were sitting nearby watching over this one, followed it to that tree.

We walked back home, and got almost all the way to the house before my mother pulled up and we were able to share the great news that this bird was freed from the wires.  My family has always helped creatures when in need, be it nursing a baby until it can be set free or giving a home to something that can no longer live in the wild.  Anything that breathes, walks, and feels deserves a good life and deserves the help of those around them if they’re in trouble.  I will keep helping when I see something in need.  The best feeling is watching them go on to live another day.

Have you ever taken time to save something that was in trouble?  If so please do share your stories in our comment section below!  Also feel free to leave any comments or questions, all email addresses are kept private.  Thanks!