You might think a bird having a run-in with a Washington Metro subway escalator could only turn out badly for the bird.

But there's one very fortunate raptor out there somewhere in Washington, D.C. that will live another day to prey on the city's rodents thanks to some human intervention.

As the Associated Press reports:

D.C. fire department spokesman Pete Piringer says rescuers were called to the Benning Road station in northeast Washington shortly after 8 a.m. Monday. A large bird of prey - possibly a hawk or a falcon - had its foot stuck in the escalator.

Metro employees shut off the power, and a passer-by held the bird to keep it from injuring itself more. When firefighters arrived, they removed a portion of the escalator to free the bird.

Piringer says that despite a slightly injured foot, the bird flew to the top of a nearby gas station, where it sat for a while before continuing on its way.

Left unanswered is why the bird was trying to take the subway to begin with.