Nothing can be more satisfying for a first responder than saving a life. Newport firefighters did just that last week.
But this wasn’t just any life they saved — it was the life of a barred owl.
[Firefighters save wounded seagull found stumbling in traffic in Scarborough]
A resident alerted firefighters of an owl caught in fishing line left in a tree, and the bird was showing signs of severe exhaustion and distress, the Newport Fire Department said Monday.
The department responded with its ladder truck, and a firefighter made a “dramatic grab” and secured the injured owl in an animal crate.
[Maine firefighters rescue 155 pound St. Bernard stranded on roof]
This story, of course, has a happy ending: the owl was taken to a biologist, who evaluated it and eventually released it back into the wild, the department said.
Related: Wells firefighters rescue scared cat from tree