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OGDEN, Utah - An abandoned baby bird was the sole passenger of an Uber ride when it arrived at a northern Utah wildlife rescue, after a man who was drinking with friends called the driver.
The orphaned Lesser Goldfinch was taken to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah. The staff there named the bird “Petey Uber.”
Staff at the WRCNU in Ogden said they received a call from a man who “had a few too many” alcoholic drinks who had discovered the bird struggling on the ground.
“What do you do when you find a sick, injured or orphaned wild animal, but you've 'had a few too many?'” the rescue wrote on Facebook. “WELL, this rescuer called an UBER driver!”
Buz Marthaler, co-founder and chair of the WRCNU, said the man and his friends were “just a couple of neighbors having drinks” in their yard. He said it’s unclear if the man who called was drunk.
“They were just acting responsibly for the bird,” Marthaler said. “We are just happy that the bird was brought in and that they did not place themselves or others in potential harm's way.”
Center director Dalyn Marthaler said the bird was thin and dehydrated when he arrived. She said the bird should be released into the Utah wilderness in a few weeks.
“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,” the wildlife center wrote.
“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!” the rescue said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.