On a recent July morning, a woman near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, stepped into her backyard and found herself face-to-face with a horrifying sight.
“[She] discovered an owl hanging upside down, lifeless,” Raven Ridge Wildlife Center (RRWC) wrote on Facebook.
The owl, tangled in an unattended volleyball net, was still breathing but could hardly move. And while the panicked woman didn’t know how to help him, someone nearby did.
“Fortunately, her neighbor and his son acted quickly,” RRWC wrote. “They carefully cut the owl free from the netting and placed it into a box.”
The pair of neighbors worked diligently to disentangle the owl from the net without causing any injury. Once they secured him in the box, they contacted the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which then alerted RRWC about the events.
Before long, an RRWC care and transport volunteer arrived to collect the owl, who was in relatively good physical condition, despite his emotional wounds.
“This poor owl was weak and exhausted from hours of struggle, but was fortunate to escape with no broken bones and minimal injuries from constriction netting,” RRWC wrote.
Thankfully, the resilient owl came out unscathed, but other animals aren’t so lucky. The netting this owl became trapped in has also threatened the well-being of other wildlife, and the folks at RRWC advocate a simple solution to the ongoing issue.
“This scenario occurs far too frequently during the summer months,” RRWC wrote. “To safeguard our wildlife, it is essential to take down or securely store any sports netting when it’s not in use. Making this simple habit a part of your routine takes just a moment and can prevent unnecessary suffering, pain, and potentially save the lives of our precious wildlife.”
As a nocturnal animal, it’s likely that the owl flew directly into the black netting while hunting without being able to see it. If the homeowner had properly stored the netting while not in use, however, the whole ordeal would have been avoided.
Despite the circumstances, the owl perked up at RRWC’s headquarters after some much-needed rest and hydration. It wasn’t long before his defeated gaze evolved into an alert stare, with a much livelier expression sweeping across his face.
The owl will continue to recover at RRWC until he fully regains his strength and can return home. As much as the RRWC staff love having him around, they can’t wait to see him thrive in his natural habitat again.
