23-04-2025
PHOTOS: Pinellas detective rescues young owl from busy Clearwater parking lot
CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — A Pinellas County detective helped save a lone young owl in a Clearwater parking lot on Tuesday morning.
The sheriff's office said Detective Smith was walking in a parking lot when he spotted an Eastern Screech Owlet on the ground and in the path of vehicle traffic.
Smith quickly moved the owlet to a safer location and waited to see if the owl's parents would return for their baby.
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'When no adult appeared despite the morning hour for this nocturnal little one, he knew it was time to call the pros,' the sheriff's office posted on Facebook.
The detective contacted the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission for assistance. Then, an FWC officer took the owlet to a specialized raptor rehabilitation center.
'If an animal is in immediate danger (like this owlet in a busy parking lot), safely moving it nearby is appropriate. When in doubt, contact a local wildlife rehabilitation center for professional guidance,' the sheriff's office said.
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