Owl rescue

23/02/2006

An owl will soon be reunited with its lovesick mate following a water worker’s mercy mission.

Andrew Moore, who works as a water treatment works controller at the Essex & Suffolk Water Langford Recycling Plant, near Maldon, was leaving work when he witnessed an accident between the Tawny Owl and a car on the road outside the plant.

The bird was in distress and pain so Andrew decided to build a makeshift cage and take it to a safe, quiet location on the Langford site for the night.

A representative from the Colchester Owl Society collected the animal the next day and took it in to be cared for.

Andrew, who lives in Witham, said: “As I also work as a part-time fireman I have rescued quite a few animals, including a number of birds, but this was my first owl. The poor bird was in a lot of distress and as I am an animal lover I wanted to make sure it was okay.”

The owl is due to be taken back to the Langford plant and released once it is well enough.

Since the accident last week, employees at the plant have located a nesting site and now believe that the owl is one of a pair.

Following advice from the Colchester Owl Society on how to help the owls, the environment team at Essex & Suffolk Water are currently constructing new nesting boxes for the two birds.

Andrew, 29, added: “The owl’s mate seems to be missing its other half as we can hear the bird around the Langford site and it sounds distressed. It will be good to see the pair back together again.”

For further information please contact Claire Bishop on 01245 212 010.