CHP rescues injured barn owl in Highway 101 traffic

GOLETA, Calif. - A barn owl is recovering from an injury after it was rescued Thursday morning by California Highway Patrol officers in traffic.

The CHP received a 911 call about the bird in the freeway center divider around 8 a.m.

Officers Mike Sims and Jim Mann were able to stop traffic briefly and use a towel to pick up the bird.

They alerted the Wildlife Care Network nearby on upper Fairview immediately.

In moments, the owl was delivered to an on-site animal doctor and received care.

It is not known how the bird was hurt.

Officer Sims says taking care of hurt animals is just as important to the CHP as the motoring public.

In December of last year, another owl was stuck on the freeway in Santa Barbara with an injury and again, the CHP was able to retrieve it and get it medical attention in Ojai.