Customers browsing through an antique shop in upstate New York made an unexpected discovery this month when they came across a living owl taking a nap on one of the store’s shelves.
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the unusual encounter took place February 21st at The Market Place in East Durham, a small community located roughly 127 miles north of Manhattan.
Officials report that patrons noticed what appeared to be “something extremely lifelike” displayed on a shelf and brought it to the attention of store employees.
When environmental conservation police responded to the scene, they discovered a brown and white owl sitting on a shelf with its eyes closed, positioned right beside a chicken-shaped cookie jar.
Officers carefully handled the drowsy bird to escort it out of the shop, then set it free in a nearby forest where it took flight and landed in a tree.
The animal was identified as an eastern screech owl, a species that is active during nighttime hours and usually makes its home in hollow trees.
How the owl managed to enter the antique store remains a mystery. Store ownership was contacted for comment on Friday.
