On a rainy day in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a passerby walking their dog noticed something unusual on the ground.
There, soaked and shivering in the grass, was a baby great horned owl who looked as if he’d already given up hope.
The tiny owl had fallen from his nest and had no way of getting back up. Alone, cold and vulnerable, his chances of survival were quickly slipping away.
But help was already on the way.
The concerned bystander called the Longmeadow Police Department, and Officer Peter MacElhiney soon arrived.
“This was the first time I’d ever handled a young owl,” MacElhiney told The Dodo. “Its talons were well developed and could definitely hurt someone. It’s always neat to be able to help a creature out, but at the time I didn’t know if it would’ve been best to just leave it.”
Given the owl’s condition — wet, freezing and exposed to predators — MacElhiney made the choice to carry him to safety. Though the little owl wasn’t sure he trusted his rescuer just yet, he was finally safe.
MacElhiney brought him back to the station in a box, then reached out to Thomas Ricardi, manager of the Massachusetts Birds of Prey Rehab Facility.
There, the baby owl would be raised by two adult owls until he’s old enough to fend for himself — with the ultimate goal of releasing him back into the wild.
“The owl will be raised by two adult owls he has,” MacElhiney said. “His goal is to release the birds if they gain the ability to fend for themselves.”
With any luck, the unfortunate owl's rough start to life won't prevent him from thriving in the future.
And to a watchful neighbor, a caring officer and a dedicated rehabilitation team, the baby owl who once seemed hopeless now has a bright future ahead.
