Earlier this month, a pair of Florida men went on a booze-fueled joy-ride . . . with a Great Horned Owl they had found on the side of the road. The quickly went viral.
The federally protected bird wasn鈥檛 in on the fun. 鈥淭he bird appeared to be stunned,鈥 says Matt Smith, eagle watch coordinator at the who handles raptors on a daily basis. 鈥淭ypically an adult Great Horned Owl is not going to tolerate being close to a human.鈥
This particular owl likely only acted calm because it was hurt (which is how the guys captured it in the first place). While this video is basically a PSA for what not to do in such a situation, here is a cheat sheet for what to do should you find an injured owl.
DON鈥橳 Keep the owl鈥攊t鈥檚 illegal to have a Great Horned Owl in your possession unless you are transporting it to a rehab center. (While that they won鈥檛 be charged by the state, the driver will be , thanks to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.)
DON鈥橳 Ignore the bird. The men claimed that they let the injured bird go the next day鈥攚hich means it likely still needs help.
DO .
DO Place a cardboard box over the owl. Slide a second piece of cardboard under the bird鈥斺渟ort of like the way that you would catch spider,鈥 says Smith. If you don鈥檛 have a box, place a blanket over the bird, and grab hold of its feet. That should keep the owl safe until it reaches a rehab center.
DON鈥橳 Pet the owl. It causes them extreme stress. (This is also the argument .)
DO Keep an eye on the owl鈥檚 beak and feet鈥攆or your own safety. Especially its feet: 鈥淕etting bit by an owl is not fun, but its not going to put you in the ER,鈥 says Smith. 鈥淕etting badly footed by one could. They are very powerful birds that are very well armed.鈥
Editor's Note: This article has been updated to refect new information鈥攖hat the driver of the vehicle will be charged with .