This is the moment a starving owl has to swim to the shore after being mobbed by seagulls when it ventured out during the day in search of food.
The Eurasian eagle-owl was filmed by beachgoers struggling to get back to the shore totally exhausted after its feathers became waterlogged, and it was forced to swim in order to save itself.
The incident took place around 8.45 am on the beach of Calahonda, in the municipality of Mijas, in the province of Malaga, Costa del Sol, in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia on 11th July.
The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) was spotted by a local as it was seen trying to go out from the sea. As its wings and feathers were too wet, it was unable to fly and was trying to swim back to the beach.
The local called the emergency service and members of the Environment department of the municipality of Mijas went to the location where the owl had already reached the seashore.
Juan Luis Vega Rodriguez, 55, worker of the Environment department of the city council of Mijas told Newsflash “the person had gone into the water to help the owl get to the land”.
When the workers arrived, the owl was hiding nearby.
Vega Rodriguez explained that the owl had been unable to fly once it was in the water, as its feathers would become waterlogged and the only way to get the land was to swim.
The spokesman explained that nobody witnessed what happened, but “it is believed that seagulls harassed it and attacked it”.
He explained that it is not uncommon to have small raptors being attacked by seagulls as they are very aggressive when it comes to food.
The workers then reportedly used a blanket to cover it so that it did not stress out and used gloves for security reasons.
Vega Rodriguez said that the “owl did not offer resistance, it was exhausted and it had a lack of weight”.
The owl was then carried to the Environment Department facilities for treatment where it is still recovering.
Vega Rodriguez explained that it is normal to see these animals in the area, as there are a lot of trees, but it is not normal to see them in daylight.
The animal is not injured but it needs to recover weight and it is isolated so that it does not get used to human beings and when it is done, it is going to be released to its natural habitat.
The owl usually feeds on small rodents, like mice and rats and this one was an adult and it’s unclear why it was underweight.
They are very loyal to their partners and is not unusual for them to spend 20 years with the same partner. It is believed that in the province of Malaga, there are around 50 Eurasian eagle-owl couples.
The mayor of Mijas, Josele Gonzalez, told Newsflash that “we are very aware of the animal environment protection” and thanked citizens that called the emergency services to ensure “a happy ending”.
