Nocturnal creature found trapped in air duct, CA photos show. An officer gets creative
A nocturnal creature with bright yellow eyes was found trapped in a home’s air duct in California, animal control said.
An officer then had to come up with a creative plan to free the Western screech-owl.
The owl was discovered in a home Tuesday, March 26, Palo Alto Animal Control said in a Facebook post.
Construction workers planned to seal the air duct that day, so they needed help getting the owl out, animal control said.
“The construction workers were not keen on the idea of ripping their roof apart,” the agency said.
But Officer Cody Macartney had an idea.
“Officer Macartney fashioned a hook out of heavy duty electrical wire and used an extension pole to reach down the duct and scoop the owl out,” the agency said.
As Macartney reached into the duct, construction workers made noise at the other end to help lead the owl out.
The agency said the owl was not injured, and it flew to a nearby redwood tree.
What to know about Western screech-owls
Western screech-owls are small with round yellow eyes and brown and white feathering that helps camouflage them in trees, according to the California Living Museum.
The nocturnal birds have tufts on their heads that look like horns or ears.
The owls are found in western North America, including southeast Alaska to western Texas and Mexico, The Peregrine Fund said.
They are found in forests, near creeks, riparian areas, deserts and urban parks.
