A man who couldn't believe what his neighbor told him over the phone has shared a viral video of what got into his home while he was out.
Smithy, who lives in Preston in northwest England, received a call from his neighbor telling him that an owl was trapped in his home. "I was working away and luckily he had my spare key and came to the rescue to let it out of my house," Smithy, who declined to give his full name, told Newsweek.
In the TikTok clip, which has received thousands of views after it was posted by Smithy this week, the owl can be seen flailing about inside his bedroom as his neighbor tries to release it. The owl is seen at the window desperately trying to get out of the house as Smithy's neighbor, wearing gloves for safety, opens it to release the bird.
Once the window finally opens, the bird is seen speedily flying away from the house.
Smithy told Newsweek that he believes the owl had fallen down the chimney of his home, where he ended up trapped inside.
He wrote in the text overlay on the short clip: "[My] neighbor rang me telling me I had an owl stuck in my house," along with a laughing face emoji.
In the comments section of the post, he wrote that the only way the bird could have made its way into his house was through the chimney, which has "never happened before, though."
Owls are predatory birds that are recognizable by their large forward-facing eyes, unique facial disc and upright posture, according to the World Owl Trust. There are over 200 species, with the most common being the tawny owl in the U.K. and the great horned owl in the U.S.
Sightings of owls in the daytime are uncommon because they are nocturnal birds, which is perhaps why Smithy was so surprised when he got the call from his neighbor about the bird in his house during the day.
Other TikTok users saw the humor in the situation, sharing their reactions to the video.
"So many questions will we ever get an answer," said @myrishlife.
Another user decided to make a pun, writing: "hOWLing."
Another, Aura, commented: "I'd have wanted to befriend it."
"Looks like it had a hoot," said a user with the moniker Pedro Pie Muncher.
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