By Rory ReynoldsA DOZY owl got itself into a flap after toppling over and plunging headfirst into a chimney.
The adult tawny owl had to be rescued by an officer from the SSPCA at the bottom of a chimney after becoming stuck at a shocked resident’s house in Kilsyth, Lanarkshire.
The dazed bird, who was covered in soot, was taken to the Wildlife Rescue Centre near Dunfermline in Fife to be cleaned up and looked after.
After having a rest, the owl was checked by staff to make sure it could fly properly, before being released near to where it was found.
Centre Manager Colin Seddon said: “When the owl arrived he was extremely dirty and his eyes were very red and sore from the soot, but other than that he was uninjured.“We have a specialist cleaning facility here, which is used primarily for oiled birds, so we were well equipped for washing all the grime off the owl’s feathers and cleaning up the soot from his face and eyes.
“After the washing process, he was transferred to an indoor enclosure to dry off and rest before being moved to an outside aviary with enough room for us to see whether he was happy in flight.”
Now staff hope the owl will wisen up when released.
Colin added: “Once fully recovered we released him at a spot close to where he was found.
“He’ll be glad to be back in his own territory and hopefully he’ll avoid sitting on chimney tops from now on.”
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