Owl Is Well After Dramatic Rescue

All's well that ends well—and a young owl is well after the end of its ordeal in a well in a ruined 12th-century castle in Germany. Authorities in Bad Segeberg say a 3.5-hour rescue operation involving around 20 people was launched Saturday after hoots of distress were heard from the bottom of the 130-foot well, CNN reports. After determining that oxygen levels were low at the bottom of the well, rescuers pumped in fresh air before a firefighter equipped with breathing apparatus abseiled down to bring the bird to safety. The eagle owl, which is part of a group that has lived in the area for many years, was turned over to a local nature sanctuary, reports the AP. The sanctuary says the bird was weakened, but they believe it will have recovered enough to be returned to the wild on Tuesday. (More owls stories.)