The force was with a pheasant called Rey who was trapped under a car grille for two days.
The game bird was rescued by the Scottish SPCA after a horrified motorist spotted it in Dunfermline.
Named after a Star Wars character, it is being cared for at the animal welfare charity’s rescue centre in Fishcross.
Centre Manager Colin Seddon said: “Rey had been trapped behind the car grille for two days before being spotted.
“Luckily, we were alerted just in time and although she had badly damaged tendons and was unable to use her legs, we are confident that she will make a full recovery and be released back into the wild within the next few weeks, weather permitting.
“This type of accident is more common than you might think and we would encourage drivers to double check their grille if they think they may have hit any type of animal.”
Inspector Robyn Gray came to Rey’s aid after the car owner called the charity for help in December.
She said: “The caller was quite alarmed after finding the bird trapped under the grille of her car. The pheasant had been stuck with her leg hanging out of the bottom of the car.
“I managed to free her leg and there was a lot of pushing and pulling on the grille in order to finally get her through a gap. It’s wonderful to hear that Rey is on her way to a full recovery.”
