An owl was found napping in the engine of a Virgin Australia plane by engineers during their pre-flight check.
While owls are usually found sleeping in tree hollows or perched on high branches, this curious barn owl was found nestled between a jet-engine’s propeller blades.
During their pre-flight check, last week, engineers discovered the bird sleeping while the aircraft was waiting at bay, Virgin Australia said. The engineers rescued the bird before assessing, then releasing it back into the wild.
A spokesperson from the airline said the discovery of this cute little guy was a good reminder of why pre-flight checks are important.
Virgin Australia took to social media to share its heartwarming experience.
“This owl didn’t give a hoot where it napped!” Virgin Australia tweeted (pardon the bird puns). The airline concluded by asking its followers “Where’s the strangest place you’ve woken up?”
This owl didn’t give a hoot where it napped! The cute little guy was found during our pre-flight checks. Our team of engineers rescued it & was assessed before being safely released back into the wild. Where’s the strangest place you’ve woken up? #HootHoot pic.twitter.com/1NEx9usRfu
— Virgin Australia (@VirginAustralia) April 18, 2019
The tweet attracted the eagle-eye of Virgin Group owner and founder Richard Branson, who responded to the news equally punny, saying “Just when I thought I’d seen it owl … Great job team.”
Just when I thought I’d seen it owl… Great job team
— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) April 18, 2019
In a separate encounter that wasn’t quite as cute for the people involved, a snake was found in Glasgow after it hitched a ride from Brisbane.
