Firefighters carefully free great horned owl trapped in car grille in Santa Barbara County

(KTLA) — Firefighters in Santa Barbara County, California, spent about 30 minutes on Sunday morning carefully extracting a live great horned owl that was deeply embedded in the front grille of a vehicle before turning her over to a wildlife rescue team, officials confirmed.

The Santa Barbara County Fire Department said crews assisted Animal Control with the rescue around 9:35 a.m. after the vehicle’s owner noticed the owl lodged in the grille.

Officials said the car owner was unsure of when the incident happened, and noted that it may have happened the previous day.

According to the fire department, firefighters delicately cut away sections of the grille to free the owl, placing her into a box once she was safely removed and keeping her secure until a wildlife rescuer arrived.

The injured owl was then transported to the Wildlife Care Network in Goleta for evaluation, fire officials said.

A representative with Wildlife Care Network told NewsNation affiliate KTLA that the rescue involved an intricate extrication process and was a coordinated group effort among firefighters, Animal Control and wildlife responders. The owl was confirmed to be a female great horned owl and was alert during the rescue, the organization said.

Wildlife Care Network said the owl is now at its facility, where she will be examined by a veterinarian.