Milwaukee motorcycle police officer rescues baby bird

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Police Officer Bill Ritch is being hailed a hero for rescuing a baby bird.

According to the Milwaukee Police Department, Officer Ritch was teaching motorcycle officer training in the Miller Park lot Wednesday, May 16th. After a night of storms, some felled tree branches dropped near his bike and out fell a baby bird – right onto Ritch’s motorcycle, where he found it after the class took a break.

Officers have named the baby bird "Harley," and it can’t yet fly. Officers looked around but couldn't find a nest, so Officer Ritch took the bird and gave it shelter in his motorcycle's tour pack. He fed the bird all day and has cared for it. "My wife, her response was 'only you Bill' because she knows I am an animal lover. I'll admit it, I've got a soft spot for animals," Officer Ritch said.

The Wisconsin Humane Society has indicated the best thing Officer Ritch can do is place the bird in a tree near where it was originally found. That's exactly what Officer Ritch did Thursday morning, May 17th. Officials suspect the parents are nearby and will take care of the rest. They have discovered the baby bird is a robin.

If you come across an abandoned or injured bird or other animal, you're asked to call the Wisconsin Humane Society at 414-431-6204.

Often times, the animal does not need help, but it is best to contact the Humane Society for advice.

CLICK HERE for more on this story from Milwaukee Police Department's "The Source."