Saving Rockefeller: owl found in the Christmas tree

Sophie Simmons - Sophomore, Business Manager | Features

When a scraggly 75-foot tall Norway Spruce was brought to Rockefeller Center to be set up for Christmas, a woman found an adorable adult Saw-Whet owl amidst the branches. Later dubbed Rockefeller, the female owl was trapped, buried deep into the base of the tree.

The workers at Rockefeller Center called a local animal clinic, Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York. The director and founder of the wildlife center, Ellen Kalish, told reporters that she met up at a gas station to obtain Rocky and was relieved to find her in good condition.

The vets at the clinic provided Rocky with the utmost care, giving her all the mice she could eat. After multiple X-rays, they discovered that miraculously, Rocky had zero fractured or broken bones! Found malnourished and dehydrated, the vets let Rocky stay in the clinic for a few days to get back to normal and help her through some well expected trauma.

Rockefeller was happily released back into the wild on Nov. 24 at dusk. Rocky lingered on Kalish’s hand for quite a while, taking in her surroundings, before flying away and settling in a nearby pine.

“I will wish him a very long and happy life — something we all strive for,” Kalish said. “For me, it’s the Christmas miracle of 2020. It’s a pretty great story. I was honored to be of service.”

Hopefully, Rockefeller the Saw-Whet owl will live out the rest of her days happily in the forest and stay far away from any possible Christmas trees.