Owl saved from school soccer net in Port set free

A great horned owl caught in a soccer net at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Port Washington (left photo) was discovered by students during recess on Sept. 20.

Teachers Ryan Cowen and Eric Liebergen gently cut the net while paraprofessional Jenny O’Neill held onto the bird, which was fatigued from fighting to escape.

The raptor was taken to Pine View Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in the Town of Fredonia, where Kristen Bustamante, manager of the center’s hospital, said it recovered quickly. Last Thursday, she released the owl in the Town of Port Washington at a location near the bird’s home but away from the net that caught it.