What a hoot: Owl makes itself at home after crashing through apartment window

Imagine coming home to a great horned owl perched in your living room.

That was a reality for one apartment resident in downtown Regina on Saturday.

"Upon getting there the owl was able to move around the living room quite well but he could see there was some blood on her feet so she potentially needed help," said Megan Lawrence, director of rehabilitation at Salthaven West.

The owl was picked up by a Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Saskatchewan volunteer and taken to Salthaven West wildlife rescue for assessment.

Lawrence said the owl appeared to have been chasing its dinner — a pigeon — and the two flew right through the apartment window which was closed at the time.

Unfortunately the pigeon died during the altercation.

As for the owl, Lawrence said she has a mild head injury and a few cuts on her feet.

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The bird will remain in care for two or three days. Salthaven workers will assess the owl's recovery before releasing her back into its territory.

"We're giving her some mild anti inflammatory and pain medication to help with the head injury and we've done some clean up on her feet to make sure she doesn't get an infection in there," she said.  

Owl-wrangling tips

Lawrence said although this is the first time she's seen an incident like this, it's not unheard of. 

"You know owls have sharp talons and sharp beaks and you wouldn't want anyone getting hurt by it, but if someone is comfortable rescuing an animal like that then they can give us a call and bring it on over," she said.

Residents can contact Salthaven West or the WRSOS for wildlife emergencies.