Wild Owl Perches Atop Family’s Christmas Tree for an Hour

50 Campfires

A family in Arlington, Virginia was expecting Santa Claus, but a wild owl came down their chimney instead. The owl flew around and then perched on top of their Christmas tree for over an hour until animal services arrived. The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) shared the story on Facebook, posting photos of the owl looking like a Christmas tree topper (it knocked the old one off unceremoniously). AWLA also shared a video of the owl flying around the house before landing in its preferred spot.

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“This beautiful Barred Owl decided to play Santa and drop in—literally—through the chimney of a local home, and declared himself the newest star on top of their Christmas tree (look closely – you’ll see he knocked the old star over to make room for himself),” wrote AWLA in its Facebook post. “Sgt Murray answered the call, gently capturing our feathered friend and safely releasing it back into the wild.”

ALWA advised its community to keep their chimneys capped this winter to keep curious critters out. Now that Saint Nick has made his annual visit, no one should be trying to get in that way, after all.

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See a wild owl take over as a Virginia family’s Christmas tree topper here: