Mansfield, Ohio – An Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper came to the aid of a severely injured barred owl found along U.S. 30 near U.S. 42 on March 9.

Body camera footage shows the trooper retrieving gloves from his SUV, carefully approaching the owl, and saying, “Please don’t dig your claws into me,” as he gently lifted the bird and placed it on the backseat floor of his cruiser.

The trooper transported the owl to the Ohio Bird Sanctuary in Mansfield. Sanctuary staff confirmed the bird had suffered severe blunt force trauma, including temporary blindness.

After several days of intensive care and monitoring, the owl began showing signs of improvement. It has now been moved to the sanctuary’s outdoor flight conditioning enclosure, where it can exercise and regain strength while staff continue to monitor its vision and flying ability.

Amanda Vanderford, curator at the sanctuary, praised the trooper’s actions: “We certainly recognize that rescuing wildlife isn’t the state patrol’s priority, however, we are grateful for Trooper Beck’s compassionate decision to help this owl, ultimately saving its life.”

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