A tawny owl had a narrow escape after being discovered trapped inside a wood-burning stove.
The homeowner initially thought the bird was a hawk as they could only see its feet and underside.
But when the Scottish SPCA arrived at the property in the Hazlehead area of Aberdeen, they realised it was a tawny owl – and that it would be too big to easily free from the stove flue.
They called in the fire service, who eventually moved a section of the stove to free the bird, unharmed.
Scottish SPCA Lynn Cruickshank said it was a “tricky” operation .
‘The owl was unharmed from their adventure’
Ms Cruickshank said: “This was quite a tricky rescue and when I first arrived all I could see were the bird’s feet and some feathers sticking out of the wood burner.
“I managed to get hold of the bird and get them out of the flue, but I couldn’t get them past the damper at the top of the stove.
“With the member of the public’s permission and the help of their friend, we started to take parts off the stove to see if we could free the owl.
“Unfortunately after a while, we were still really struggling so I called the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for assistance.
“Eventually it was agreed that we could break the seal around the stove and flue and remove the stove to free the owl.
“We’re so grateful to the member of the public for being so understanding and helpful.
“Thankfully, the owl was unharmed from their adventure. The bird was checked over and given some food and water.”
The Scottish SPCA want to remind the public to contact the animal helpline on 03000 999 999 if they discover an animal in distress.
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