This adorable young owl is pictured in a sooty state after falling down a chimney and becoming stuck before being rescued by a fire crew who pushed it out with a sweep’s brush.
The incident that left the owl’s light coloured plumage distinctly darker in colour happened in the district of Pempelfort in Duesseldorf, which includes the city’s Central Park and Rhein Park where the owl was presumably hunting.
The owl, identified by Vince Jones from the British Barn Owl Centre as a male tawny owl, had decided the top of the chimney was a good vantage point.
It is believed he probably panicked when the chimney suddenly came into use and toppled down the hole.
The owner of the house realised that the bird had fallen down the chimney at around 7:30 PM and called the fire brigade when they realised it could not free itself. In the end, they used the chimney sweeps brush to slowly push the owl out of the chimney where it could be rescued.
It appeared to be unharmed, but was nevertheless taken to a nearby animal clinic where it is believed it was checked over before being released back into the wild.
Mr Jones told Central European News (CEN): “Chimneys do cause problems, not just to owls but also to other birds. They offer a high point from which tawny owls call to mark their territories. They see a chimney pot as a solid top perch, hence its not uncommon for birds to fall down chimneys.”
He added that fitting a chimney cowl was a good measure that would help birds avoid getting stuck in chimneys.
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Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
