I "Rescued" an Owl Once

Or maybe I just helped it.

Back in the 80's I lived in military housing in Germany. The structure was a big rectangular building, three stories high, with lots of apartments. There was also a sort of basement level where everyone had their "maids room" (which we used for storage) and the laundry room.

One morning I had to be at work pretty early. When I left the 2nd story apartment it was just before sunset. I went down the stairs and noticed the entrance door was opened. I also noticed an unusual sound coming from downstairs. It was a rustling sound. I stopped and listened. I heard it again. I went down the steps to see what was making the noise. What I was surprised to find was a large owl that had obviously flown into the building and become trapped. It couldn't find its way out.

So, being the crazy animal lover that I am, I decided to help the owl. I tried to catch the owl but it flew away. The second time I tried to catch it, it hit its head on the underside of the stairs and landed on a the wheel of a bicycle. Fortunately the owl was a little dazed and had its back to me. So I carefully grabbed it with both hands around the body and wings, and carried it up the steps. When I got outside away from the building, I threw the owl up into the air. It flew away and I never saw it again.