Flue away! Owl released after Shropshire wood burner rescue
He was left completely covered in soot after getting stuck inside a wood burner.
But now this tawny owl has been successfully released back into the wild.
The bird was rescued by an RSPCA inspector after a concerned homeowner contacted the animal charity about the bird's plight on November 19.
Inspector Kate Parker went to the house in Criftins near Ellesmere to rescue the bird before taking him to Cuan Wildlife Centre.
The owl was completely trapped inside the flue of the wood burner and may not have been found if the homeowners hadn't heard a scratching noise. It took about 90 minutes for Inspector Parker to carefully free him. The owl was completely covered in black soot when he was released but thankfully was not injured.
After he was cleaned up and monitored for just over a week the owl was then released on Monday night.
Inspector Parker said: "The owl was released in the garden it came from in Criftins, Ellesmere.
"The callers were there too and the owl flew off into the garden where we believe it is from.
"It had been eager to get out of the aviary at Cuan Wildlife all day, and when I opened the box it looked at me for a few seconds, but then realised it was free and off he flue!
"It's a good feeling to get a nice happy ending to a rescue like this."
A video of the release can be viewed by visiting http://bit.ly/2AkBiCt.
If anyone spots an animal in distress or wants to report suspected animal cruelty, contact the RSPCA's 24-hour emergency hotline by calling 0300 1234 999.
