An injured owl was rescued after being hit by a driver who left it to die on the road.

The confused white fluffy bird was spotted by patrolling rescuers as struggled to move across the concrete path in Samut Songkhram province, Thailand on June 15 evening.

It was scared and turned defensive against its rescuers so the officers draped a blanket over its head before carrying it to the side.

The creature was checked for injuries and released as it was able to move its wings again after resting.

Rescuer Rung Nopphorn said: ‘I was driving with my colleagues when we saw the bird lying on the road. It was almost the size of a chicken. It kept on staring at our faces the whole time.'

Rung added that the bird had a minor sprain after possibly being hit and run while hunting on the dark highway.

He said: ‘The bird could not move one of its feet properly after a sprain injury. We allowed the bird to rest and released it into a nearby woods.'

Owls are nocturnal, solitary birds that hunt insects, small mammals, and other birds with their sharp talons. There are 21 species of owls found inside Thai national parks. However, some superstitious locals believe that an old brings bad luck if it flies over their roof.