It was a sunny day on Long Island when a local homeowner swung open his back door to let his dogs outside. He peered across his yard and saw an odd brown lump near his back fence. He quickly called the dogs back to the house.
Crouched in his yard was someone surprising — an animal who shouldn’t be out during the day.
The resident soon realized that the visitor was a baby owl and knew something must be wrong. By the time wildlife handler Frankie Floridia of Strong Island Animal Rescue League arrived on the scene, Floridia could tell the resident was still in awe.
“He’d never seen an owl down like that,” Floridia told The Dodo. “So he was nervous.”
Floridia donned a pair of gloves and slowly began approaching the owl. He’d never seen one up close, since owls usually stay high up in trees and very rarely go out during the day. He marveled at the baby bird’s gorgeous feathers and round yellow eyes.
“He’s a majestic creature,” Floridia said. “He’s beautiful. It’s such a rare creature to see.”
As Floridia stooped down to grab the bird, he was pleased to realize the owl wasn’t going to put up a fight, and the rescue went off without a hitch. Soon, the wayward owl was on his way to Sweetbriar Nature Center.
At the nature center, the owl was assessed for injuries. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt. It appeared that he’d been separated from his family and was having trouble finding food for himself. Rescue staff made sure he got all the snacks he needed. In no time, the little owl was flying laps around the nature center.
Once he’s strong enough, this owl will be released back into the wild. Clearly, he hasn’t had the best luck with daytime excursions. But he was never meant for sunshine, anyway. From now on, he’ll be flying by moonlight and loving every minute.
