© Mark Bridger / Rex FeaturesGandalf the great grey owl peers out of a window at Knowsley Safari Park.
He now spends his days watching the world go by out of his window.
"He is a bit of a wuss as he doesn't like flying in big open spaces," said owner Janet Southard, who runs the Wild Arena photography company, based inside Knowsley Safari Park near Liverpool.
"When we moved here we put him in the shed temporarily while we built his aviary outside.
"But he didn't want to move so now he has an aviary inside the lovely red brick shed.
"He loves sitting at the window and watching the other birds."
But amateur photographer Mark Bridger, 44, from Kent, had quite a fright when he saw the big round face at the window.
"I looked around and saw this face at the window, then suddenly realised it was an owl. It gave me quite a shock.
"You don't normally expect to see an owl in a house. He looked quite ghostly."
Reader Comments
Owl be seeing you,
In all the unfamiliar places...
I wanna go back,
To my little brick shack...
Owl of me, Why not take owl of me?
...
Take my wings, I want to lose them
Feathers, too, I'll never use them.
I think that it's past my nap time, folks.
Leave the Wiindow Open and let him decide.
Great Grey owls are the tallest in N. America - they're a circumarctic species - and rare here. I've never seen one, as they're not seen near the tropics... duh.
Nevertheless, open the window and see what he likes the best. Til then, I question the claim of their perception of his agoraphobia.
R.C.
Where's the harm in allowing him to decide for himself? Perhaps a few short flights? just to get his confidence up. Seems really 'hinky' to me......more like his presence is an attraction rather his need for a 'brick shed'.
How did this creature come to be caged? Was it hand raised from a chick?