Cops Protect Dove Nesting On Patrol Car In Sweetest Possible Way

Police in Ohio are going to great lengths to protect a dove's nest.

When Parma Police Department officers saw a bird had set up home at the base of a back-up patrol car's windshield last week, they didn't evict the creature.

Instead, they sealed off the area surrounding the vehicle with police tape to make sure it wasn't disturbed.

The cops added an umbrella to keep the mourning dove dry from the rain and shaded from the sun.

They gave it a water cup for hydration . Some officers have even dug up worms for its food.

"Our officers are human beings just like anyone else, " Lt. Kevin Riley told Fox 8 News, adding that the back-up vehicle is not used on a daily basis.

The City of Parma posted photographs of the incredibly sweet gesture to Facebook , which are now going viral. 

The gender of the dove in the photographs is not known, but the officers have named it Gerty.

As males usually incubate the eggs during the day and the females at night, it's possible that both sexes have been spotted on the nest.

The car may have to remain out of action for at least another month.

Mourning dove's eggs usually hatch within 16 days and the nestlings fledge after after two weeks, according to the Chipper Wood Bird Observatory. Their parents care for the fledglings until they are around 27 days old.