great horned owl rescue

Officer Rescues ‘Oliver the Owl’ From Soccer Net: PHOTOS

After a resident reported an owl severely tangled in netting, Norwell Police Department’s Officer Sutton came to the rescue.

As NPD photos show, the beautiful bird of prey became entangled within a soccer goal’s netting out in Norwell, Massachusetts. It was no light tangle, either, and the owl surely would’ve perished if left unassisted. But not on Officer Sutton’s watch.

“Officer Sutton saved the day and made a new friend tonight, Oliver the Owl!” NPD lauds via their Facebook. “Great work Officer Sutton!”

Thankfully, Sutton would be able to completely untangle the raptor. Or Oliver, rather. Oliver is a great horned owl – the largest owl species in North America – and Sutton was able to watch him fly free as NPD’s last photo documents:

“Thank you to the resident that reported Oliver tangled in the soccer net at the Pine Street fields,” NPD offers in kind. It takes a village, after all.

It’s been a busy time for owl rescues, too. As their prey like rodents and rabbits become more active in springtime, raptors hunt much more actively. Birds of prey that hunt urban areas often encounter foreign obstacles that prove dangerous and even deadly, however. If you ever see a raptor injured or in need of rescue, please contact your local wildlife officials or official rescue organizations to arrange a rescue.

Officers Rescuing Great Horned Owls Across America

Typically, police officers do not engage directly with wild animal reports. But Officer Sutton was the right man for the job regardless, and his pal Oliver now owes his life to the NPD stalwart. The same can be said of a similar incident up in North Dakota where another police officer stepped up to the plate to rescue another great horned owl.

While battling North Dakota’s harsh winter storms, one hardy Fargo police officer went above and beyond to save an owl with a broken wing. Responding to a call early into March 15, FPD Community Service Officer (CSO) Aventi arrived to a north Fargo residence only to find “a large great horned owl with a broken wing outside,” FPD reported on their own Facebook.

ND police officers refer wildlife-related calls to North Dakota Game and Fish Department. But when CSO Officer Aventi saw the condition of the owl, she knew she had to act fast to save a life.

“In this incident, CSO Aventi could see the animal was injured and needed immediate assistance, so she contacted Game and Fish to receive clearance from their department to remove the owl and arrange for veterinary care,” FPD continued.

Officer Aventi waded through waist-high snow amid single-digit temperatures to rescue the great horned owl, who’s now in rehabilitation at a local zoo.