Not all knights wear shining armour, proves motorbike rider, Beau Ward, who saved a bird's life.
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When heading home from work late on Sunday night, Mr Ward noticed something out of the ordinary.
"I was on my way home after working in Batemans Bay at around 11pm when I looked over and thought 'what's this?'
"I saw two big eyes shining and looking at me from the side of the road.
"So I pulled over and saw a dazed owl laying there - it was a bloody big fella!
Mr Ward had pulled-up on his motorbike to see an injured masked owl - one of the largest owl species in Australia.
He thought the bird might have been hunting and collided with a car. After assessing the bird he felt the need to call for help.
"I reckon because it rained, there were a lot of frogs jumping across the road. It was probably doing some late night hunting and a car had nipped her," he said.
By George it's claws were sharp! ...they pierced right through my motorbike gloves!
- Beau Ward
After contacting the local vet, Mr Ward placed the injured owl carefully into his tank bag.
"When I picked it up, it wasn't well at all. It was all floppy," he said.
"I brought her back home and my German shepherd wasn't too happy, so I put her in a separate room."
When lifting the injured owl from his bag, the bird's reaction was not as Mr Ward expected.
"By George it's claws were sharp! It came to life as I lifted it out of the bag and they (talons) pierced right through my motorbike gloves - she wasn't too happy at all," he said.
Mr Ward managed to place the agitated owl safely inside a box with a towel before taking it to a vet the next morning.
On Tuesday, March 12, results came back from Moruya Veterinary Hospital stating the owl had a fracture to its coracoid - a bone in its shoulder, near the wing.
"We are being fair to guarded with its prognosis to survive," a veterinary spokeswoman said.
"We have handed it over to a specialised wildlife carer who will be able to determine its state after about one month in care."
"The carer will then be able to determine the possibility of release," she said.
Meanwhile, Mr Ward hopes to keep in touch with the carer and receive updates on its progress. If you come across injured wildlife, contact WIRES on 1300 094 737.
