A couple rescued a huge injured owl that got trapped inside their chicken coop at their Wisconsin home. They couldn’t help but be both fascinated and a bit frightened of the bird, which comes through in the funny and fun video Angela Bartkus took during their rescue attempt.
Angela often describes her husband as her own “Dr. Dolittle” in her TikTok videos and this particular owl rescue is proof of that.
Initially, Angela wasn’t too happy that the owl had gotten into the coop – the raptor had managed to kill one of their chicks. But the owl hadn’t anticipated the netting around the couple’s chicken cage and had gotten trapped inside.
Despite “freaking out” the other chickens, Angela and her husband decided to help the “beautiful predator” out.
In her videos, Angela expresses her fear that her husband might get hurt by the owl’s sharp talons: “honey, he’s going to claw you to death.” But he handles the bird expertly and gently, admiring the bird while he holds it in his arms. This prompts Angela to remind him “we’re not keeping” the bird.
The couple also administered some impromptu first aid after her husband noticed there was something wrong with the owl’s foot. The owl had “bumblefoot” which is an infection in the owl’s foot. So they help remove the infected claw and treat it with antibiotic ointment, before cleaning the wound with antibiotic germicidal spray. Once they were finished, they set the owl free, hopefully never to return to their coop.
After the owl was safely away, they admit that it’s one of the “coolest experiences” they’ve ever had.
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