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LAST UPDATE | 10 Apr 2019
AN OWL WHICH went missing from its home in Co Kildare on Friday evening has been found and returned home.
Tank, the hand-reared owl, escaped from her enclosure last Friday night while being fed by one of the owners, Darren Jackson.
The owl became frightened when a cat jumped onto the wall of the garden. She flew over to the wall herself before flying into a row of nearby trees.
“We searched the field beside our house for a while but she was kind of gone in the opposite direction,” the other owner, Lezley De Loughry told RTÉ Radio One’s News at One.
This evening, Tank was spotted in a field in the Newbridge area, about a mile away from her home.
De Loughry and Jackson headed over to the site at around 6pm, where they found Tank up a tree.
They eventually got her down from the tree, but De Loughry told TheJournal.ie: “She wasn’t as hungry as we thought she was going to be, so it took a while.”
De Loughry had urged people not to try to pick Tank up if they find her because she might become frightened.
Tank has very strong talons De Loughry said, adding that the owl doesn’t eat or hunt animals.
She said that Tank is used to humans but she would have gotten scared around strangers. She said if someone tried to pick Tank up she would “get scared and she would flap”.
“Her wings themselves would give you a good slap across the head,” she told News at One.
She’s definitely not going to be swooping out of the sky picking up children or deers or anything like that.
De Loughry added that Tank has gotten out of her enclosure before, but had never gone very far.
Since Friday, there had been a number of sightings of Tank.
De Loughry told TheJournal.ie this evening: “She’s back home, she’s lock up and she’s safe.”
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She’s become confused by the changes in modern society – she now identifies as both eagle and owl and feels she no longer fits in. Beak-ause of this, she is yearning for the good owl days when people didn’t get in a flap about such issues.
@Dara O’Brien: if you want a stupid comment, leave it to Mr O’Brien
@Dara O’Brien: lol very good. Although the usual swow owl flakes are offended
@Dara O’Brien: Aye, I though it was a Hoot too.
@Shamey: get a life
@Shamey: Nah, brah – you got him beat..
Makes a change from all the missing people!
Maybe they’re both just gone to sea in a beautiful pea-green boat.
@Pascal Coleman: Or maybe it’s more akin to The Life of Pi, would you share your lifeboat with a creature who might devour you, on the other hand the Owl has a ring so they might live happy ever after.
Irish birds are beautiful! Hope she gets home safe. Heard some crazy stories about her on the radio…
@Juniper: This bird is not native to Ireland,they are found in Africa,God I just got a toxic warning for saying that from the Journal, pc gone mad.
@Honeybee: This is actually a Eurasian eagle owl, one of the largest owls on earth and (as the name suggests) a native to large areas of Europe and Asia. Their range does not extend quite so far as Africa. Interestingly enough breeding pairs are beginning to pop up in Scotland at the moment having arrived from Scandinavia. They’ll probably start showing up in Ireland in another decade or two as well if their distribution pattern ends up being at all similar to the likes of buzzards/goshawks etc.
Beautiful bird, hope she’s found safe and well and any of the general public who stumble across her can exercise common sense.
The poor bird . The owner was saying he getting online threats to kill the animal as idiots spread a rumour that it attacked a child. Some people are just beyond help. Hope he is found soon.
FREEDOM
I hope it’s recovered in one piece, or I won’t be able to say owl’s well that ends well.
@Ted Murray: — Ah well, owl’s well that ends well :p
Love owls. Hope she is found safe and well.
Tank is precluded from commenting for legal reasons!
She is absolutely stunning but I still wouldn’t want to stumble upon her since she hasn’t been fed and is probably looking for something to eat.
Is the pussy cat gone as well.
@Mark Jones: Hedgehogs are their favourite food.
@Honeybee: Edward Lear
@Mark Jones: the pea green boat along with the money with plenty of honey..
I couldn’t give a hoot
Tank God she was found
Just don’t keep your stair windows open!
Same owl story.
Does anyone know how old she is?
@Peter: not that owled
A small tracker device fitted to Tank would be worth considering. She may not be so lucky to be found next time. Glad she was found safe and well.
If she’s hungry she make a kill it’s in the DNA . Hope she’s found though .
I can sleep soundly tonight.
What part of Kildare are we talking Athy or Leixlip or somewhere in between?
@Chemical Brothers: Sallins (somewhere in-between)…apparently located now
have your say