March 14 (UPI) -- An animal rescuer responded to a home in London to save a tawny owl that became entangled in a resident's pond netting.
The RSPCA said animal rescue officer Mat Hawkins responded to the home in the Sydenham area of London after a resident reported the owl was tangled and in danger of drowning.
"The poor owl was discovered in the morning. 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 said.
Hawkins put on waders and climbed into the pond, using a capture next to lift the owl from the surface of the water to protect the bird from drowning while the rescuer worked.
"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 said.
Hawkins took the owl to South Essex Wildlife Hospital, where it was given a clean bill of health. He returned to the garden the following day to return the owl to the wild.
"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," Hawkins said.
