Real-Life Sleepy Owl Found Resting On NY Antique Store Shelf

NEW YORK — Shoppers scouring the shelves for a once-in-a-lifetime find at an antique store in East Durham got a surprise recently when the "extremely lifelike" owl on the shelf turned out to be real.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, ECO Officer Darren Milliron responded to a "unique call" in the hamlet of East Durham.

"Employees at an antique store stated that shoppers noticed something extremely lifelike on one of the shelves. A sleepy Eastern Screech Owl was perched next to a chicken cookie jar," the NYSDEC said. "ECO Milliron arrived at the location, gently cradled the sleeping owl to remove it from the store, and released it into a wooded area where it flew into a nearby tree. This species of owl is nocturnal and typically nests in tree cavities, not store shelves. No word on how it got inside."

(Courtesy New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)

To contact an ECO to report an environmental crime or incident, call 1-844-DEC-ECOS for 24-hour dispatch.