Rescued great horned owl returned to Moorhead area

MOORHEAD (KVRR) — A great horned owl that was rescued after becoming entangled in a soccer net at Moorhead’s Hampton Park has been released back into town.

After spending a month at the city’s Raptor Recovery Center, she was returned to the area where she was found.

The team included Moorhead public relations specialist Greg Schmidt, who freed the owl from the net with the help of a Good Samaritan.

The release was attended by a small group of neighbors and bird lovers who agreed that the owl should be named “Nettie.”

Raptor Center volunteer Cindy Holtan said Nettie’s time in the net left bruises on her wings but no other injuries.

“The owl got caught in the net, so there were bruises on its wings that needed to be healed. As far as I know, there are no fractures, but the nets can be very dangerous for animals. Especially when they get stuck and struggle to get free, which leads to more injury because they can’t get out,” Holtan said.

Raptors like owls have little chance of surviving rehabilitation, so Nettie’s release is a big win for the Raptor Center.