Injured owl flies free after being nursed back to health

WARWICK, R.I. (WJAR) — A local nature center has nursed an owl back to health after it was tangled in fishing line and trapped in a tree.

It was released to fly on its own again Friday night.

It was an unusual rescue for Warwick firefighters and an even more unusual sight for the woman who spotted something caught in the tree in her front yard, earlier in October.

"I looked and said, 'That's an owl. We have to call somebody,'" said Diane Charland, who lives in Warwick.

Warwick firefighters carefully untangled the 2-year-old owl caught between two trees stuck in fishing line.

"It got wrapped up in her wing and she dangled with one wing," said John Maxson with Born to Be Wild Nature Center.

Maxson has been nursing the owl back to health.

"It was fun to see her that aggressive because you know she's going to be a great hunter and a great provider," Maxson said.

The owl had little to no damage to her wing with only a little bit of fishing line wrapped around it.

Maxson believes the owl flew right into the stray line hanging from the tree.

"They were probably trying out a new pole or a new reel and threw it up there and it got caught up," Maxson said.

Animal control officers say this is common.

"We just don't hear about it as much," said Amy Violett, a Warwick Animal Control Officer.

But on Friday, the whole neighborhood heard about it, as Maxson let the owl out of its cage to fly free again.

"This is like a birthday gift, ahead of time," Charland said.

"This is just another feather in the cap, no pun intended," Maxson said.

"I'm so glad her injury was minor and now she can go back out and do what she does best, hunt and just be amazing," Violett said.

Warwick Animal Control says birds often get tangled up in fishing line left on beaches or piers.

Experts say this is a good example of why you should watch where you leave things.