Two Atlanta women rescue injured barred owl

ATLANTA - Two women in Atlanta are being credited with giving an injured owl its best fighting chance at survival after finding it along the side of the road Wednesday.

The women said they were walking their dogs in the Candler Park neighborhood of Atlanta when they discovered an injured barred owl at an apartment complex. They contacted the Cochran Mill Nature Center to find out what to do.

Terri Clark, Executive Director of the nature center, praised the women saying they did the right thing in calling a rehab facility first to get help in figuring out what to do rather than just doing it themselves. The center was able to instruct them and two other neighbors on how to best capture the owl, place it into a cardboard box, and transport the wounded creature to their facility in Chattahoochee Hills. Clark said they did it perfectly.

Clark said it appeared the wing of the bird was injured, but because of the nature of the injury they were sending it off to the Southeast Raptor Center in Auburn for treatment. It was on its way as of late Wednesday afternoon. Once admitted to the facility, veterinarians will post updates on their website.

The barred owl is the second largest owl in the state of Georgia.