FLORIDA -- An owl has been freed after it was found trapped behind the grille of a sport utility vehicle.
When Sonji Coney Williams looked into the grille of her SUV, she noticed huge yellow eyes staring back at her. "I was about to faint," said Williams.
She found an owl stuck inside. On Thursday, she was heading south on the Florida Turnpike. "I was driving about 60 miles per hour, and he never moved, and so I said, 'Oh, my God, I hit a bird,' and I felt so bad, but it was very dark," she said.
Williams had no idea the bird she thought she hit was an owl. "I've never experienced anything like this before in my life," said Williams.
Williams had no idea the bird she thought she hit was an owl. "I've never experienced anything like this before in my life," said Williams.
The owl strike occurred not too far from Yeehaw Junction in Central Florida. It was not until Friday afternoon, while she was running errands, when Williams noticed the owl was stuck behind the grille of her SUV.
"There was a family that pulled in front of my parking space and flagged me down and said, 'Don't move, don't move, you have something in the grille of your car,' and they said, 'It's an owl,'" she said.
Williams immediately called Florida Fish and Wildlife. An officer showed up, popped the hood of her vehicle open and freed the owl.
The owl is a Great Horned Owl, which are common in Central Florida.
The officer said the owl appears to be in good shape and suffered no injuries.
(WSVN - Feb 9, 2013)
