In Orange County, a barn owl's attempt to snatch a trapped mouse ended with the bird's beak glued shut.
Before help arrived, adhesive from two pest-control traps coated much of the owl's body, leaving it struggling to breathe, KTLA reported.
Here's what to know
According to the Irvine Police Department, Animal Services officers in Irvine, California, were dispatched after the owl got caught in two glue traps set out for pests while trying to grab a mouse that had already been trapped.
The department detailed the rescue in a Facebook post.
Officers worked the sticky substance off the bird, police explained, because the glue had closed the owl's beak and spread over its body.
"There was so much glue on the owl that he was having trouble breathing," the post noted.
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A bird of prey depends on its beak for basic survival, meaning the owl's condition had already escalated well beyond a routine wildlife call by the time officers arrived.
The traps were set for pest control, and the trapped mouse lured in a wild predator that was never the intended target.
More background
Using the incident as a cautionary example, the Irvine Police Department told residents that glue traps can catch far more than rodents.
In its Facebook post, the department warned that the products "don't discriminate" and can also trap "snakes, birds, and small animals."
The department added that the risk is not limited to wildlife, saying it had "also heard stories of little humans and pets finding themselves in unexpected sticky situations."
The hazard arose in a human-controlled space, and the baited setup altered the owl's behavior by placing prey within reach. As the BBC reported, many wildlife conflicts begin when human activity disrupts the food sources or environments animals interact with.
Police did not say whether the barn owl was expected to recover fully.
What can be done?
Once officers cleared the glue from the owl's beak and body, they could address the immediate breathing risk and prepare the bird for additional treatment.
Police then brought the owl to the Irvine Animal Care Center, saying they would likely transfer it later to the Orange County Bird of Prey Center.
After a glue trap snared the barn owl, the police department encouraged residents to consider more humane pest-control methods.
Where can I learn more?
The Irvine owl rescue is one example of how glue traps and similar hazards can injure wildlife. These stories cover owls, cats, and other animals harmed by glue traps and other dangerous setups.
• A homeowner said a neighbor's traps for community wildlife slowly erased the area's nature.
• In Arizona, a barn owl was saved from drowning after falling into an open water trough.
• In New Mexico, wildlife authorities found clear illegal activity when a forbidden trap injured a pet cat.
• In Scotland, an illegal trap led to a cat's euthanasia and public outrage.
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