Owl rescued after flying 180 miles to oil rig during Storm Amy
An owl has been released back into the wild after being rescued from a North Sea oil platform by Storm Amy and blown off course by Storm Amy.
The female owl was discovered last week aboard the Noble Patriot platform 180 miles off Shetland, Scotland, and was kept alive by her crew.
Offshore worker Sam Crowe managed to capture the owl after spotting it on the platform and fed and watered it until it was rescued by a wildlife sanctuary.
It is believed that the owl may have been in a difficult situation during the last storm, when winds reached 160 kilometers per hour and damaged buildings.
Speaking to BBC Scotland, Mr Crowe said: “I have managed to address this issue.
“I knew he wouldn’t survive here so I made him a little house in a box and got him some raw chicken and some water.”
While he was kept comfortably on the oil rig, arrangements were quickly made for the owl to return to the mainland for appropriate treatment.
Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary said they were notified that the short-eared owl had descended into a “state of exhaustion” and that a helicopter collected the “majestic bird” and brought it back to Scotland.
Following an assessment by the local verse network, the owl was found to be in good condition but underweight and was kept with ornithologist Phil Harris to be “fattened with mice and chicks” before being released back into the wild.
“What a pleasure for everyone who came into contact with this beautiful creature. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this rescue operation,” they said.
“It will be on its maiden voyage across the North Sea and will be exposed to storms,” Mr Harris said. “They sell out very quickly.
“At night they will probably see the lights of an oil platform or even ships in the North Sea and use these as rest areas.”
He added that he was a “very lucky owl” as he was provided with food which allowed him a “lucky escape”.
Mr Harris added: “With the chicken he was fed and the temperature he was actually quite strong.
“We only had to look after him for three days, and he was released on Monday. While he was with me, he ate a lot of mice and gained a lot of weight.”
