The bird of prey was found by a member of the public on a busy dual carriageway in Cudworth near Barnsley and was unable to fly and was dragging his left wing.

The passerby was able to encourage the owl into a box and they took him to their home in nearby Manor View and alerted the RSPCA.

Inspector Leanne Booth was sent to collect the injured bird, following the incident on February 23, and he was taken to the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich, Cheshire, for veterinary treatment.

Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange, said: “This was a very fortunate owl as usually in road traffic collisions more damage is incurred.  The owl most likely was stunned as on X-ray no breaks or fractures were seen.

“It had been quite windy the night before so he may have been blown off course and into an object.

“We were able to give him time in isolation to rest and when the vet was happy with his progress the owl was then transferred  into one of our larger aviaries. After a couple of weeks he was ready to return to the wild.

RSPCA animal rescue officer Liz Braidley  was last week able to take the owl back to near where he was found to release him back into his natural habitat - a heart-warming moment she caught on video.

Liz said: “It is always a pleasure to release an injured animal back into the wild after it has been rescued and recovered in RSPCA care. 

“Watching a majestic bird like this fly off freely is amazing - it is always a proud moment for the whole team involved.”

If you find a wild animal in distress, stuck, sick or injured please contact the RSPCA for advice on 0300 1234 999 and visit https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/injuredanimals. 

¿To support the ongoing work of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre during this extremely difficult time, please donate to their Justgiving site: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/RSPCAStapeleyGrangeWildlife?success=true

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit our website or call our donation line on 0300 123 8181.

A video of the release can be found here:   https://spaces.hightail.com/space/AebpRuw2Kp?_gl=1*jfx8o*_ga*OTExNjUwNjAzLjE1OTk0OTQ2Nzk.*_ga_SF4Y7ECCC9*MTYxNjc1OTUzNS42OS4wLjE2MTY3NTk1MzUuNjA