Good Samaritans come to snowy owl's aid

NORWOOD YOUNG AMERICA, Minn. (KMSP) - Good Samaritans worked together to try to save an owl found in a field in Norwood Young America, Minn. on Thanksgiving morning.

Residents spotted a rare white snowy owl, which was clearly in distress. After some coordination on social media, they retrieved the bird and took it to the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota for treatment.

"It hopped across the ground, tried to fly, couldn't," said Tom Hopkins, who helped bring the owl to the Center. 

Experts at the Raptor Center discovered the bird was starving and was unfortunately too far gone to be saved. According to the Raptor Center, this year there was an excess of snowy owl hatchlings in the Arctic with many heading south in search of food. However, the young birds often struggle to identify food in unfamiliar territory and will struggle to survive. This year, eight snowy owls have been taken to the Center.