A routine pullover of someone believed to be driving while intoxicated turned unusual in Payson, Arizona when an officer spotted an owl sitting in a baseball cap on the passenger’s seat.
The driver was arrested and booked with aggravated driving under the influence, possession of meth, and possession, transport, and purchase of wildlife.
According to the International Owl Center, the United States does not allow private individuals to keep native owls as pets. Only trained and licensed professionals can possess an owl for rehabilitation, educational or breeding purposes.
For Payson Police Chief Ron Tischer, it is a traffic stop to remember.
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“Tiniest cutest little owl sitting there on a baseball hat, the first thought is that can’t be a real owl,” Tischer told NBC affiliate KPNX. “Personally, I’ve never heard of it in my 30-year career; it’s a first.”
Officers pulled over the driver at around 1 a.m. Wednesday. The driver told officers he had just bought the bird from someone at a gas station for $100.
The police quickly moved to get the animal into the right hands.
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The large screech owl is now undergoing treatment at Liberty Wildlife.
The owl was brought in Thursday morning and was given a complete assessment, according to Laura Hackett, a wildlife biologist at the center. Hackett said that the owl is standing and her eyes are open, but her pupils are two different sizes, indicating head trauma. The owl remains under observation to see if the trauma improves.
“It’s happening more than I would expect,” said Hackett. “It’s an amazing story to think of what was going on finding an owl.”
