Festive Barred Owl InvadesVirginia Home for Xmas

In Arlington, Virginia, a wild barred owl flew into a home through the chimney and shocked the family inside, first by flying around the living room, then by perching atop the Christmas tree.

The local Animal Welfare League was called in to safely capture and release the interloper in the wild. The group described the scene on Facebook: 

“This beautiful Barred Owl decided to play Santa and drop in — literally—through the chimney of a local home, and declared himself the newest star on top of their Christmas tree (look closely - you’ll see he knocked the old star over to make room for himself).”

Because this is 2024, the invasion was filmed and the video was immediately shared with tens of thousands of people, some of them doubting the authenticity of the tale (skepticism is also a hallmark of 2024). 

The story of the owl was pure catnip for local news outlets, which were ready with strigine puns, such as “Owl I Want for Christmas.” Here’s NBC4 Washington with the video.

The Animal Welfare League took the opportunity to offer a safety tip: “This is a great reminder to keep your chimneys capped this season to prevent curious critters from coming to visit!”

The League also pointed to its tip jar, for those who celebrate. 

Photo credit: Animal Welfare League of Arlington via Facebook