A backyard swimming pool in Ventura, California, became the scene of an unusual wildlife rescue when firefighters used a leaf skimmer to lift a stranded owl out of the water, highlighting how ordinary residential features can quickly become hazardous for wildlife.
Here's what to know
Ventura firefighters took the owl to the Ojai Raptor Center for care after they got it out of a backyard swimming pool with the help of a pool leaf skimmer, KTLA reported. Officials have not shared an update on the bird's condition.
Footage shared by the fire department shows responders using the skimmer to steer the owl through the pool before placing it on nearby grass.
After reaching dry ground, the owl stayed upright and wide-eyed, with no immediate sign of a major injury.
On Instagram, the firefighters added: "Glad this little guy is safe and back on his way."
"He is sooo cute," one commenter gushed. "Thank you for saving him!"
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More background
The Ventura rescue unfolded in a private backyard swimming pool, not along a roadside or in a natural setting.
Pools are built for people, but for wild animals moving through developed neighborhoods, a smooth-sided, human-made water feature can become a trap rather than a source of relief.
Previous reporting by the BBC on the broader overlap between human spaces and animal behavior has explored how human-driven landscape changes can intensify wildlife encounters, even when those encounters are accidental rather than due to aggression.
What can be done?
If someone finds wildlife in distress, the Ojai Raptor Center said they should contact a nearby rehabilitation center before trying to handle the rescue themselves.
The center also urges people to document the animal and its surroundings with photos and video, which can help rehabilitators assess the situation because "different species have different natural histories, behaviors and needs."
In Ventura County, people can report distressed wildlife by phone at 805-649-6884. People outside the area should find their own local rehabilitation agency.
Where can I learn more?
It's not uncommon for owls to end up in danger around roads, netting, vehicles, and human-made water sources.
• In Arizona, a barn owl was pulled from an open water trough before drowning.
• Firefighters freed a great horned owl from a car's front grill after impact.
• A sheriff's deputy stopped traffic after spotting an injured owl roadside and getting it help.
• In Gladstone, Missouri, officers freed an owl trapped in netting on a soccer goal.
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