This story was shared by Kyla Morris. Kyla lives in East London. On a winter’s night in November 2010, Kyla was walking home from work with a colleague alongside a busy road during rush hour, when she heard a thump. She looked around to find a Coot on its back waving its legs. The poor bird had been hit by a car. Kyla stopped the traffic, ran into the road, and picked up the bird. All the while her colleague was staring after her not knowing what she was doing. Having been brought up in a rural area, Kyla knew the bird would be in shock and needed to be kept warm. She put the bird inside her jacket. By the time she got home, the Coot was unconscious, so she sat very still for over an hour with the bird tucked inside her coat.
Eventually, the bird woke up, and Kyla discovered it had a cracked beak. She called a wild bird rescue who told her to keep the Coot warm and release the bird as soon as she could.
Kyla put a blanket inside a box as a safe place for the bird and closed the lid. In the morning, the bird was gone. Kyla found the Coot in her bathroom. With the help of a sheet, she was able to carefully put the bird back inside the box.
Kyla was worried infection would set in the bird’s beak and called a vet. She was told the Coot would most likely be put down by the vet, as birds are too fragile and rarely survived accidents.
Not wanting to risk the bird’s life, Kyla decided not to take the Coot to a vet. Instead she put the box in an airing cupboard to make sure the bird wouldn’t escape this time.
The next morning, the Coot was still alive. Making sure the lid was closed, Kyla carried the box to Victoria park, a local park, and opened the box by a large lake. As soon as she uncovered the lid, the Coot flew out, toward the lake, hopefully to see many more days.
When asked what one thing she would like to see change in the world, Kyla said she would encourage people to have more compassion.
To see the lovely park and pond where Kyla released the coot, please click on the link below.
Anitha Rao-Robinson 
