Bird of prey trapped behind a car's front grill released back into wild in North Yorkshire

A buzzard that was hit by a car and became wedged behind its front radiator grill in North Yorkshire has been released back into the wild by the RSPCA.

The bird of prey became stuck in the car on December 28, with the motorist calling the RSPCA when she was unable to free the animal.

Animal rescuer Claire Little said that it was miraculous that the bird was still alive after being hit by the car.

"I went along and was able to carefully remove the bird from the front grill of the car by removing some parts," she said.

“I then checked her over and amazingly she didn’t seem injured - she just had a few ruffled feathers but no cuts on her body.”

The buzzard was released back into the wild on New Year's Day after being looked after by a wildlife specialist.

The RSPCA has advised members of the public with concerns for injured or trapped wildlife to contact the charity by calling 0300 1234 999 for advice or to request help.