A Kentucky family gets an early gift: an owl in their Christmas tree

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — One Kentucky family got a little something extra when they picked out their Christmas tree this year: an owl.

Lexington resident Michele White told WDKY-TV that it’s a tradition for the family to pick out a Christmas tree every year and this year seemed no different. They had the tree in their home for four days and didn’t notice anything unusual.

“I have three dogs,” White said. “We use this room nonstop: watch TV; the kitchen’s right here; no indication.”

Bobby Hayes, who owns Magic Carpet Cleaning and was at the home while the family was out, first noticed the bird after plugging in a piece of equipment and seeing the tree start to sway.

“The owl was literally sitting on a lower limb here,” Hayes said.

“It crawled up into the tree further,” Hayes said. “It took me several minutes to even find it.”

He sent photos to White, who said she was glad he was there to deal with the animal. Hayes said he was able to safely release the owl in the family’s backyard.

“Everybody’s going to be able to have a merry Christmas now,” Hayes said.

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This story was first published on December 15, 2023. It was updated on December 18, 2023, to correct that the age of the owl is unknown.