Community Corner
Great Horned Owl Embedded In Vehicle Grill Rescued In SoCal
It took about 30 minutes to remove the owl.
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CA — Emergency personnel came to the rescue Sunday morning of a great horned owl that was embedded in the front grill of a vehicle in Santa Barbara County.
The call came in around 9:30 a.m. for the 1000 block of Amethyst Drive in Orcutt, according to Santa Barbara County Fire Department Public Information Officer Scott Safechuck, who said the agency worked with animal control to remove the bird.
“Firefighters carefully cut away portions of the grill, and after approximately 30 minutes, the owl was successfully removed,” Safechuck said in a social media post.
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Animal Control Assist: 1000 blk Amethyst Dr., Orcutt. Santa Barbara County Fire assisted Animal Control with the removal of a live horned owl lodged in the front grill of a vehicle. The vehicle owner noticed the owl in the grill this morning; it is unknown when the incident… pic.twitter.com/ED6GNbtIAV
— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) December 21, 2025
The vehicle’s owner noticed the owl on Sunday morning, but Safechuck said it is possible the bird was there overnight. The owl suffered injuries and was taken by the Wildlife Care Network to Goleta for evaluation.
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