How long had he been there?
Early one morning last month, firefighters at Jackson County Fire District 3 in White City, Oregon, received an unusual call. A concerned resident had spotted a beautiful brown bird — possibly injured — dangling from the side of a nearby barn. Could the fire crew come help?
Without hesitation, the rescue team jumped into action.
When they arrived, the firefighters looked up and quickly spotted the distressed animal: a barn owl, perched nearly 30 feet in the air, with his foot stuck in the barn’s wooden siding. Flapping and clearly anxious, the owl was unable to free himself.
Nearby, a second barn owl — likely his mate — circled the scene frantically, as if pleading for someone to help.
With assistance from the Eagle Point Police Department, the team entered the barn and carefully scaled the structure. Once they reached the owl, they gently coaxed his foot free from the slats. Despite his panic, the owl soon calmed, seemingly realizing he was in good hands.
“The owl seemed anxious at first but calmed soon after,” a fire department representative told The Dodo. “[He seemed] to know that he was being provided help.”
Engineer Dan Mahar captured the moment from the ground as the owl finally took flight — safe and seemingly unharmed.
“There was a sense of relief after watching the owl fly away,” the department shared.
The fire crew credits the successful rescue to community teamwork and quick action.
“Teamwork saves lives — feathered ones, too,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.