Days after making a dramatic entry into the Agnes Scott College library, a barred owl was politely shown the door Friday afternoon.
“The owl seemed perfectly fine and was released on campus as students cheered,” director of library services Elizabeth Bagley told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday. “Hopefully he’s off hunting somewhere for a field mouse.”
The bird fell through the chimney Monday afternoon, forcing college leaders to close McCain Library. It was funny at first.
Then the bird flew to a perch some three stories up, ruffling the feathers of those who typically use the area for studying.
Library staffers quickly did their research and brought in a falconer to help corral the owl. But for several days, the bird couldn’t be coaxed down. Finally on Thursday, the ground floor of the library reopened to patrons.
On Friday, Master Falconer Stewart Farron used a hydraulic lift to go about 50 feet in the air, Bagley said. He captured the owl, which appeared to be a juvenile and weighed about 2 pounds, with a net on his third attempt, Bagley said.
Around 1 p.m. Friday, the owl checked out for good and the library returned to regular service hours.
After being released, the owl quickly flew away and was unavailable for comment.
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