Eagle Owl Rescued from Netting in Northern Israel

The rescue of the owl (Israel Fire and Rescue )

Firefighters and wildlife officials conducted an urgent rescue operation Thursday morning in Moshav Hoshaya, a community in the Lower Galilee region of northern Israel, after a large eagle owl became entangled in pigeon netting on a residential rooftop. The bird, unable to free itself, was exposed to intense sunlight and at serious risk of dehydration.

When the emergency call reached Israel's Fire and Rescue Services dispatch center at 102, a team from the Nof HaGalil station was immediately dispatched. Operations coordinators at the northern district command center simultaneously contacted the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and requested their personnel respond to the scene, recognizing that every minute counted in saving the raptor's life.

The eagle owl, one of Israel's largest birds of prey, which hunts primarily at night, was trapped in the netting with no shade from the sun. Understanding the danger of rapid dehydration and deterioration, firefighters worked quickly but carefully to extract the bird from the mesh without causing additional injury.

"When we arrived, we saw the owl trapped in the netting and exposed to the sun, completely unable to free itself," said Staff Sergeant Rawad Bibar, the team commander. "We understood we were in a race against time and that every minute in the sun could endanger it. We worked quickly and carefully until we managed to free it and transfer it to the Nature and Parks Authority personnel for continued care."

Following the rescue, the eagle owl was handed over to Nature and Parks Authority staff and treated in a wildlife ambulance operated by the organization, where it received fluids and veterinary care. "It's gratifying to know that the joint operation ended with saving its life," the team commander added.

This incident joins a series of wildlife rescues carried out by emergency services and the Nature and Parks Authority. Several weeks ago, a hyena cub that had fallen into a channel near the seam line was rescued in a joint operation by Border Police fighters and Nature and Parks Authority rangers.