Barn owls prefer landscapes like grasslands, deserts, and farmlands, so when one was spotted struggling and alone 70 miles from shore in ocean water near the UK, it came as a shock to British Army members who were there competing in a race. Before the bird collapsed on the boat, the soldiers spotted it falling into the sea several times. They looked after the owl for a day while they raced to circumnavigate Ireland and Great Britain as part of the 50the Anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race. “It’s been a tough 24 hours for him; it’s not the most comfortable boat to be on, but he’s doing well and hopefully he gets the help he needs now,” said Mark Petherbridge, a member of the Army Offshore Racing Team. Before handing off the barn owl, the men on the boat named the bird “Little Reg” and celebrated him for his will and tenacity to survive. Little Reg’s trip back to land was made possible in part by James Stannard, a conservation officer for the Barn Owl Trust, who put together the resources to help the bird after receiving a call about the stranded bird. With little to eat aboard the racing boat, it's likely Little Reg would have perished without the trip on the lifeboat. Stannard said he believes the owl unknowingly roosted on a docked fishing vessel that later went out to sea, leaving the bird stuck in the open ocean. “It’s nothing short of a miracle that the bird managed to find a ship to help it.” Once Little Reg reached land, he was transferred to the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Center in King’s Lynn, England, for care.
