Barn owl trapped in molasses rescued on Devon farm

The barn owl was cleaned and cared for over the course of three days

A barn owl is "recovering well" after becoming trapped in a molasses bucket.

The young bird was rescued after becoming coated in the sticky animal feed substance on a farm in Devon.

The fledgling owl was taken to Seymour Vets in Totnes, where it was cleaned and cared for over three days, and would be later released, experts said.

Kirsteen Atkinson Annear, who found the distressed bird, said it was "so coated" in molasses she initially thought it was a chicken.

The fledgling is in the care of a specialist who cares for predatory birds

Mrs Atkinson Annear was house-sitting on a farm near Totnes, where a family of barn owls are nesting, when she found the trapped animal on 20 September.

She said: "I just realised it was an owl and thought: 'Blimey!'

"I grabbed it, wrapped it a towel and took it to the vets in a trug."

The unfortunate bird was believed to have hatched this year, but was fully feathered when it became trapped in the sugary mixture used to feed sheep.

The bird was initially thought to be a chicken which had become trapped in the bucket of molasses

The sticky sugar substance is used to feed sheep on the farm in south Devon

Vet Huw Peplow explained the owl had been given to an experienced falconer to be cared for over the winter.

He said the young bird needed to moult to grow working flight feathers after being covered in the molasses.

He also praised veterinary nurse Beth Lewis who "put in a lot of work nursing the bird".

Her work saw the bird washed, cleaned, fed, given water and kept warm over three days, he said.

The bird will be released into the wild next year after it has had time to grow working flight feathers

Dr Mateo Ruiz, from the Barn Owl Trust, said the owl becoming trapped in the bucket was likely because it had been chasing a rodent which was attracted to the molasses.

He confirmed the bird was "recovering well" and was due to be "carefully released back into the wild" next year.

Dr Ruiz said: "This is down to the care and quick response of the initial rescuer, the vet, the veterinary nurse, and a local raptor rehabilitator, all of whom were vital to the positive outcome."