Rescued great horned owl returned to Moorhead neighborhood

MOORHEAD (KVRR) — A great horned owl that was rescued after getting tangled in a soccer net in Moorhead’s Hampton Park has been released back into the city.

Netti in her box during her trip from the Raptor Center to the Moorhead neighborhood where she was found. Photo courtesy of Cindy Holtan.

After spending a month at the Raptor Recovery Center in the cities, she was returned to Hampton Park, where she was found.

A small group of neighbors and bird lovers attended the release, who agreed the owl should be named ‘Netti’.

Included in the group was Moorhead Community Resource Officer Greg Schmidt, who freed the owl from the net with the help of Good Samaritan.

Raptor center volunteer Cindy Holtan said Netti’s time in the net left bruising on her wings, but no other injuries.

“The owl was caught in a net, so it just had some bruising on it’s wings that it needed to heal from. No broken bones, as far as I know, but nets can be very hazardous to animals. Especially when they get stuck and they struggle to get free, and that just causes more injury because they can’t get away,” Holtan said.

Rapters, such as owls, have a low chance of surviving rehabilitation, making the release of Netti a big win for the Raptor Center.