Deputy on routine patrol notices small owl stuck in tree. Then he ‘braved the thorns’

A deputy on routine patrol noticed an owl stuck in the thorns of a tree and sprung into action in Utah, officials said.

Deputies with the Weber County Sheriff’s Office were driving in the area of Ogden Bay Bird Refuge when Deputy McAfee saw an owl stuck in a tree, according to a March 3 Facebook post by the sheriff’s office.

The owl was “stuck in the branches of a Russian Olive Tree,” deputies said.

McAfee “braved the thorns of the tree” and tried to free the bird’s talons, the post said.

The bird was injured so it wasn’t able to fly, that’s when Deputy Novak “jumped into action to help keep the bird safe,” the release said.

Deputies said they made contact with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah and handed the owl over.

Weber County is about 45 miles north of Salt Lake City.