A tawny owl got itself in a flap after becoming trapped inside a stove before a hero chimney sweep came to its rescue.
John Soutar found the bird wedged in a pipe at the back of the appliance after being called to a home in Noranside, Angus.
He said: “It was a pretty special call out from a customer who noticed this poor wee guy trapped in her stove.
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“Luckily with a bit of persuasion we managed to get him free from the pipe unharmed.”
The homeowners had called Soutar after hearing a noise coming from behind the stove.
When they tried to take the appliance apart, they spotted its large eyes staring back at them.
They contacted a vet, who suggested calling the emergency services, but a friend recommended getting in touch with the chimney sweep instead.
Soutar initially tried to reach the owl through the front of the stove but found the gap too tight.
He had to disconnect the flue to reach the trapped bird, as reported by Need To Know
He said: “I nearly had the owl out backwards, and its wee feet were grabbing onto my fingers.
“I went to switch my torch off because I didn’t want to blind it and it shot back in the way.
“So instead I just persuaded it forward and gave it a wee poke and it jumped into the fire and that’s how it ended up inside the stove.”
Thankfully, the owl was “really placid” once it had been freed.
Soutar cleaned the bird with a towel before taking it outside and placing it on the grass to check it was all right.
He said: “That’s how we were able to get photos with it, because it wasn’t upset.
“It just took a wee second and then away it went.
“It was amazing.”
Soutar, whose business covers Angus and Tayside, previously rescued another tawny owl from a chimney three years ago.
He said: “It was similar circumstances.
“That bird had been in the pipe for a week in -11 degrees and was weak.
“So it went to the RSPCA centre for a holiday then was released a week later.”
Despite the unusual call-outs, Soutar said he loved his job and business was thriving despite dwindling numbers of chimney sweeps.
He added: “There’s definitely fewer chimney sweeps now but my business is thriving.
“It’s brilliant.
“I love my job.”
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