A little male Saw-whet owl was sitting in his tree when it was cut down and brought to Manhattan, New York. The 75-foot (23-meter) Norway spruce will be decorated to be the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
Employees of the transport company discovered the owl when the tree had already arrived in New York after a 170 miles (275 kilometers) long journey. They contacted Ravensbeard Wildlife Center, a refuge for injured and orphaned wildlife, who went to pick up the owl.
The owl, named Rockefeller, has been at the center for a few days and doing much better. “His x-rays came back all clear. We will keep him here with us for a few more days while we monitor his health and get him back up to a proper weight,” the center said on their Facebook page on Friday.
When Rockefeller arrived at the center, he hadn’t eaten or drank for three days. They gave him fluids and all the mice he could eat, and he’s slowly gaining strength.
Saw-whet owls live in the forests of North America. They are one of the smallest owl species.
