Opinions
Our Opinion-Owl rescue warms heart
AMERICUS — Owl rescue warms the heart
Every once in a while we hear a heart-warming story. Several years ago, right before Christmas, various agencies assisted in rescuing a calf from an island over at Lake Blackshear. That story was amazing, especially for those present. Watching a small calf being helicoptered in a sling to the mainland will get your adrenalin moving.
On Thursday evening, just before dark, we received a call at the Times-Recorder from David, a concerned citizen, asking what we could do to help an owl caught in the sign of Perlis Plaza. I directed him to the police, the fire department, 911. He said no one would help.
We tried to reach the game warden and a local bird watcher/bird lover, with no results. David told us he could get no help from anyone.
I called David later to tell him we had come up empty handed, too. He said he had run into a cop who said he would “take care of it.”
Since we had heard nothing by Friday, we figured the worst, that the owl had either died or been euthanized.
But around 3:30 p.m. Friday, we received an exciting e-mail from Harriett Williams of the Americus Fire and Emergency Services. Firefighters had rescued the owl Friday morning after a concerned citizen had called in! They found that the exhaused bird had been trapped hanging upside down all night. It was taken to Harper’s Animal Clinic where it had suffered only an injury to one of its legs. Someone from Chehaw Park was coming to get the bird and give it treatment, rehab and a home. A firefighter emailed Saturday to say the owl might have to have a leg amputated. We certainly hope not.
This is a good story, not just because our firefighters got the job done, but because it demonstrates that people really do care. With everything going on these days: businesses closing, people losing their jobs and homes, rampant crime, it’s refreshing to see that compassion for one of God’s creatures still exists.
