An Emmett Township family got an early morning wakeup from an unlikely houseguest. Brent and Stephanie Arnold were sound asleep at 2:00 a.m. when they heard the sound of shattering glass.
When they got up to search the house, they found a gaping hole in an eight by five foot double-paned glass picture window in their living room. Initially, the pair thought a tree had fallen through the window, but were shocked to find an adult Great Horned Owl perched on the back of their couch. The large adult owl flew right through the window and landed on the couch, just a few feet from where someone was sleeping.
The Arnolds can only guess why the owl may have decided to pay them a visit. The family has a kitten that may have been sleeping on the windowsill, but no one knows for sure. Brent Arnold, an avid outdoorsman and animal lover, used fishing netting to cover the owl and bravely carried it outside.
Great Horned Owls have claws that they use to crush the spines of their prey and it takes around 28 pounds of pressure to loosen their grip. Once outside, the owl flew onto the roof of the house and then flew away. Mrs. Arnold told us that she will be cleaning up glass for a while, and though homeowners’ insurance doesn’t cover glass breakage, they will be getting a new window soon. Thankfully no humans or animals were hurt during this nighttime break-in, and the Arnolds have a once in a lifetime experience to remember.
Reporting for WGRT, ebw.tv.
