A still frame from a video, provided by Winnipeg police, of a tangled great horned owl near their West District service station on Grant Avenue, Thursday, September 25, 2025. (WPS / HANDOUT)
It wasn’t a regular day for officers in the Winnipeg police West District office on Thursday when they were called upon to assist in the rescuing of a tangled great horned owl.
A pair of eagle-eyed birdwatchers noticed the owl in the protective netting that shields the Grant Avenue police service station parking lot from stray golf balls.
Police say they rallied together and called in Manitoba Conservation and a veterinarian from the nearby Assiniboine Park Zoo to make sure the bird could be freed safely. Officers attached a sharp knife to a large pole to carefully cut the netting around the bird.
“Assiniboine Park Zoo staff wrapped the great horned owl in a blanket to protect both bird and rescuers. The owl was untangled, checked over, and to everyone’s relief — released right back into the wild,” police said in a statement.
Police noted that their day-to-day duties sometimes include more than public safety.
“It’s also about lending a hand when help is needed (even if the one in need has talons and a stare that could stop you in your tracks).”
Watch video of the owl’s release once freed:
