Animal Control Assist: 1000 blk Amethyst Dr., Orcutt. Santa Barbara County Fire assisted Animal Control with the removal of a live horned owl lodged in the front grill of a vehicle. The vehicle owner noticed the owl in the grill this morning; it is unknown when the incident… pic.twitter.com/ED6GNbtIAV— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) December 21, 2025
Firefighters and animal control officers teamed up in California to rescue a great horned owl found longed in the front grille of a vehicle.
Scott Safechuck, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, said on social media that firefighters responded to assist animal control officers in the Amethyst Drive area in Orcutt.
They found a great horned owl was “lodged in the front grill of a vehicle.”
“The vehicle owner noticed the owl in the grill this morning; it is unknown when the incident occurred and may have happened the previous day,” Safechuck wrote.
Firefighters cut away portions of the vehicle’s grille and the owl was freed after about 30 minutes. The bird was taken by the Wildlife Care Network to be assessed by veterinarians.
