DONELSON, Tenn. (WTVF) — It was a fishing line that caught an owl, or rather it snagged the bird — leaving it dangling helplessly above the river.
The good news is some hikers rescued the injured bird rushing it to Walden's Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
The owl has since recovered and on Thursday was returned to the wild.
It all came about thanks to a group of unlikely strangers you can call the Fellowship of the Owl.
"We're owl whisperers," says Melanie Thompson.
This group came together for a single purpose. They all just happened to be hiking along the Stones River Greenway when they saw the creature struggling.
"We saw the owl on the line dangling over the water," said Andy Titus.
The bird's wing was snagged on some discarded fishing line hanging from a tree. The hikers knew they had to do something, but couldn't reach the bird. Then Robert Thompson showed up with a rope.
"Rumors of me riding down on a white horse and lassoing it are greatly exaggerated. That's how it went. He had a white Chevy," said Thompson.
He used the rope to pull the exhausted owl free.
His daughter Melanie standing by along the river bank said she was OK with helping her new feathered friend.
"I was ready to jump into the river if it fell in the water because I didn't want it to drown."
Fortunately, that didn't happen, and Titus gathered the bird up on shore.
They then rushed the owl to Walden's Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation in Joelton. It turns out the owl has not badly hurt — just a soft tissue injury that healed. The fellowship all returned a month later to see the bird released back into the wild in the same area he was found.
"A lot of raptors mate for life so we try to return where they came from so they can return to their mate," said Joanna Prosser with Walden's Puddle.
She said releasing the healthy bird is what it's all about.
"We like to think of it as giving wildlife a second chance."
When it was time everyone gathered for the big moment, and it happened in a flash — the owl swooping off the cage and back to the greenway where it belongs.
"That was wonderful. Beautiful seeing him go back home. Love it," said Prosser.
She said so much of the wildlife they see is injured by manmade hazards.
Discarded fishing line is one of the biggest problems — not only for owls, but for other birds like ducks and turtles.
