JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo (KMOX) - A great horned owl in Jefferson County, Mo. will be back into the wild soon after its wing recovers.
The Rock Community Fire Protection District in the northeast area of the county posted photos of the beautiful bird after some firefighters and a representative from the World Bird Sanctuary rescued it.
A Facebook post says it was trapped in a tree and wrapped up in fishing line. The bird was taken to the World Bird Sanctuary where it will receive medical treatment for its injured wing, then released back into the wild.
According to the Audobon Society, these birds of prey are also known as Tiger Owls ... and they're fierce! Audobon says they take "prey as varied as rabbits, hawks, snakes, and even skunks, and will even attack porcupines, often with fatal results for both prey and predator. Great Horned Owls begin nesting very early in the north, and their deep hoots may be heard rolling across the forest on mid-winter nights."
Generally, they're inactive during the day and hunt at night.
In this case, the owl was spotted Sunday afternoon by someone who called the fire department.
When firefighters arrived, they found the owl with fishing line wrapped around its right wing, and wrapped around a tree branch, Capt. Tommy Siebert told My Leader newspaper. He learned first-hand how powerful these birds really are.