Owl back to its fluffy best after falling into vat of poo

A little tawny owl needed a good scrub after she fell into a slurry farmer’s pit and miraculously survived.

The filthy bird was found curled up beside the pit of animal faeces and waste in a ‘disgusting’ state, with vets predicting she’d die.

Rescuers said she nearly drowned but after being thoroughly cleaned, she is now being cared for at an RSPCA wildlife centre in Somerset.

The team hope the little owl will make a full recovery after her ordeal.

Luckily she was spotted by a passerby who informed the RSPCA and sent down inspector Marije Zwager to collect her from the scene at Broadhembury, near Honiton, Devon.

Marije said: ‘The poor tawny owl was in a right state.

‘Her beautiful feathers were absolutely filthy and stuck together with thick, black slurry. I held out little hope she would survive this ordeal.

‘She’s very lucky to be alive as she very nearly drowned in the slurry.’

Marije took her to the RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre where staff gave her a deep-clean and long hot bath.

Manager Bel Deering said when she arrived she was freezing and in poor spirits.

Bel added: ‘When we admitted the owl she was very cold, sad and dirty. It was hard to tell what condition she was in and whether she would survive due to all the contamination.

‘After being warmed up, rested and receiving fluid therapy, she was washed in our specialist bird wash room.

‘Thankfully the slurry came off well and, after drying, a beautiful tawny owl appeared again!’

The little owl will now be monitored by the team and once well enough, she will be released back into the wild near the area she was found.