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A great horned owl that became entangled in a kite string was rescued Monday in Woodside and returned to the wild.
The Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and the Woodside Fire Protection District all joined in on the rescue effort, which was launched after a resident reported seeing the ensnared owl.
Great horned owls are native to North America and many call the San Francisco Bay Area home. They hunt mostly at night, picking off rodents and small mammals, including skunks.
The concerned resident called the Peninsula Humane Society to report the bird.
“The poor owl was hanging by her wing, suspended between two trees,” Buffy Martin Tarbox, the group’s communications manager said. “She was unable to free herself and without human assistance, more than likely would have perished.”
A fire crew managed to cut the string, dropping the owl into the arms of Humane Society staff, who were waiting below to catch the owl.
After untangling the string that had captured her, the rescuers did an exam in the field and discovered the bird had no injuries.
She was immediately released back to the wild, Tarbox says. Had the owl needed treatment, the rescue team would have brought her back to the Humane Society’s Wildlife Care Center.
After the owl flew away, the rescuers removed the rest of the kite string to prevent any other animals from suffering the same fate.
The Wildlife Care Center successfully rehabilitates up to 1,400 animals each year and is funded entirely by donations.
Owls and other birds getting tangled in cords, strings and netting is an all too common occurrence, but the numbers tend to increase during October when people put out Halloween decorations including fake spiderwebs. Make sure your decor doesn’t pose a risk to wildlife.
