WEATHER ALERT

Owl released after getting caught in netting outside police station

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A great horned owl was rescued after it became tangled in protective netting around the Winnipeg Police Service’s west district station parking lot.

The netting lines the west and north sides of the Grant Avenue station and is designed to shield vehicles from stray golf balls hit from the neighbouring Tuxedo Golf Club.

Two birdwatchers noticed the owl dangling upside down Thursday morning, and police called Manitoba Conservation and a veterinarian from the nearby Assiniboine Park Zoo.

Police officers attached a sharp knife to a large pole to cut the netting around the owl, and a lone Conservation officer used a fishing net to lower the bird to the ground.

Assiniboine Park Zoo staff members wrapped the owl in a blanket. It was untangled, checked over and released.

Insp. Max Waddell said about half a dozen police officers tried to free the owl before seeking help. The unusual call is a reminder of a reality every officer faces when they start their shift, he said.

“You truly never know what you’re going to have to deal with,” Waddell said. “I’ve been a police officer for 32 years. I’ve never had to cut a great horned (owl) out of netting. Still experiencing something new.”

SUPPLIEDThe owl was released after it became stuck in netting.

SUPPLIED

The owl was released after it became stuck in netting.
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