Family shocked after finding wild animal hiding in their Christmas tree: ‘She bursts into tears’

A Georgia family discovered last week that their Christmas tree had one more decoration than they could have hoped for after finding a little owl living in its branches.

Katie McBride Newman was having dinner at home with her children, India and Jack, last Thursday when her daughter noticed something strange.

“(India) very dramatically walks into the dining room and says, ‘Mom, that decoration scared me,'” Newman told CNN. “Then she burst into tears.”

It turned out that the “ornament” was actually a wild owl. The animal had managed to find its way to the family Christmas tree, where it snuggled up next to lights, ornaments and other decorations.

Newman told CNN that at first she didn’t believe her daughter had seen anything, but after seeing the owl herself, she began posting numerous photos and videos of it on Facebook.

The family began trying to help the owl return to the wild, leaving all their windows open that night in hopes the animal would fly away. When that wasn’t the case, they called the Chattahoochee Nature Center, a nonprofit environmental education center just outside Atlanta.

One of the center’s employees recommended they try feeding chicken to the owl, a task the family also documented on Facebook.

A nature center employee then went to the Newman home and identified the creature as an owl. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, eastern howls are the most important owl species in the state, with the animals typically making their home in “rural and suburban areas.”

The employee also helped feed the owl, which Newman said was “a little skinny.” They also advised the family to put the owl in a crate and release it at “dusk.”

“Now we are waiting for the outcome of OwlGate,” Newman said in a Facebook post, sharing photos of her husband leaving the crate outside their house in the hope that the owl would fly away.

Eventually, the animal took off, leaving only one mystery behind: how did the animal get there in the first place? Newman told CNN they purchased their tree more than a week before finding the creature, adding that it was possible it had been hiding there the entire time.

However it happened, the family seemed to have only positive feelings towards their vacationer – despite the initial shock of his discovery.

“The final chapter: goodbye, birdie. Thank you for honoring our family – for bringing the magic and mystery of Advent to life in our home and for inspiring connection among all who followed the adventure,” Newman wrote on Facebook Saturday evening. “God’s peace be upon you as you build your new home outside of our house. We hope to see you again…And to all, good night.”