If you have a good old-fashioned chimney, it’s not uncommon to hear noises that seem to be coming from inside. Many birds, such as jackdaws, will build nests by dropping large twigs inside the chimney until there’s enough to be wedged in there. Their eggs will then be protected from harsh winds and prey.
So when a family in England began to hear strange noises emerging from their fireplace, they initially thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until their little feathered friend came to greet them that they realized that something was out of the ordinary.
Lauren Bailey, a worker for the RSPCA, issued a press release detailing the family’s sweet encounter. She said:
“The family had been hearing noises from the chimney and fireplace for a few days but had no idea there was a bird trapped inside until he fell all the way to the bottom.”
It was then that everybody was able to see the owl through the bottom grates. The poor little guy looked sick and scared, so the family knew that it was important to get him out as soon as possible. They quickly contacted the RSPCA, who headed over to help.
Lauren arrived at the family’s home and it appeared that the owl knew he was about to be rescued. He instantly began to draw attention to himself in the cutest way possible.
“He had his feet up against the grille like he was waving and asking for help,” she said.
He looked so adorable that the family had to snap a photo of him – and just look at that little face! He’s like a puppy in a pet store.
Lauren carefully removed the grille from the fireplace and was able to safely remove the owl from inside. He was then able to be transferred to a local wildlife hospital for a check-over and treatments. Nobody knew how long the poor thing had been down the chimney for, so it was important that he received a proper check-up.
The RSPCA could only speculate for how long the owl had been stuck in the chimney for, with Lauren suggesting:
“He was very thin and covered in soot so he’d obviously been stuck for some time.”
However, the owl seems to have gotten over his trauma and is now recovering well in the wildlife hospital. When he is fully recovered he will be released into the wild again – though hopefully this time he’ll have learned to stay away from chimneys!
It was lucky that the owl eventually slipped down low enough for the family to see him, and we’re thankful to the RSPCA for all the hard work they put in and their dedication toward saving animal’s lives. Without them, this little owl might not have lived to tell the tale.
If you’d like to donate to the RSPCA and help them during this difficult time, then please follow this link.
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