A tawny-owl “will live to fly another night”After it was removed from the netting, it needed to be cut off at an outdoor pond.
The owl has recovered after it became tangled in Sydenham, south-east London, prompting a call for homeowners to look for wildlife-friendly alternatives – replacing pond netting with a solid metal mesh.
On Tuesday, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals shared footage of the bird being pulled out of the water by Mat Hawkins, an animal rescue officer.
“I suspect he swooped in to catch a mouse that was scurrying near the pond the night before but got his leg in the netting and ended up in the water where he struggled and got further tangled,”Hawkins stated.
“I pulled on my waders and got into the pond but I was worried about him drowning in the struggle, so I used my net to scoop him from underneath, give him some support, and prevent him from dropping below the surface.
“He’d obviously been struggling to escape for some time as the poor thing was completely exhausted and barely moved while I set about cutting him free from the netting.”
Hawkins brought the owl to South Essex Wildlife Hospital where experts confirmed that it had not suffered any injuries.
He returned to his garden on Thursday night in order to release the bird into the wild.
It was believed that the owl was a bird of prey. ‘exhausted’After the ordeal, (RSPCA).
“Thankfully, this stunning owl will live to fly another night – and I hope he stays away from any further netting in the future,”Hawkins also added.
“It’s great that these homeowners checked their pond netting and were able to call us for help in good time, otherwise this owl could have become even more exhausted, dehydrated and poorly.
“I’d like to remind gardeners that all kinds of garden netting, including pond or fruit netting, can be a real hazard to wild animals and the RSPCA recommends replacing them with solid metal mesh.”
RSPCA recommended that ponds have sloped edges, steps or ramps in order to let wild animals like hedgehogs escape.
It was also recommended that anyone finding an animal in pond netting not attempt to remove it. They can sustain serious injuries that require veterinary treatment.