Police officer trudges through high snow to save owl with broken wing

FARGO, N.D. (TND) — An officer in North Dakota braved waist-high snow to rescue a great horned owl that had broken its wing.

In a Facebook post, the Fargo Police Department said FPD community service officer Aventi responded to the animal call last week. Upon arrival, Aventi found a large great horned owl outside of the home that had suffered a broken wing.

Aventi received clearance from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department so she could jump into action and provide immediate assistance to the animal.

Police said the officer waded through waist-high snow to try to rescue the owl, but the animal jumped into a window well. Aventi then used a net to transport it to safety.

CSO Aventi’s willingness to go the extra mile in this situation demonstrates her commitment to the Fargo Police Department's mission and core value of Guardianship," police said in the Facebook post.

The critter was taken to the Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton – which police said is the closest permitted raptor rehabilitator to Fargo – for veterinary care, where officials located an identification band on its leg. The band showed the owl was born in early 2022 and came from Saskatchewan, Canada, in the area of Swift Current.

According to South Dakota Birds and Birding, great horned owls are the most widespread owls found in North America. They are powerful predators and will often hunt animals larger and heavier than themselves.