In a touching TikTok video, a woman named Wendy Hockenberry shared what she discovered in a muddy puddle near her home, leaving internet users in tears.
The heartbreaking clip, shared on May 12 under the username @wendyhockenberry, shows an owl mom and her three babies stuck in a muddy puddle, which was originally their nest, before getting flooded by rain.
“What can I do to help these borrowing owls,” the woman writes in the clip, as she spots another adult owl watching over them from the side of the road. “Oh my God, you guys, my poor babies, look!” the poster can be heard saying as she films them.
There are over 250 species of owls in the world, living in almost every continent except for Antarctica.
The National Geographic says that most species live above ground except for the burrowing owl; this is a small bird found in North and South America that usually nests in abandoned hollows dug by other animals.
About 19 owl species of different sizes can be found throughout America, each of them with incredible hunting skills.
The great horned owl is perhaps the most widespread across the North American continent, with 3.9 million found across the U.S. and Canada. There are 3.2 million barred owls, and 2 million northern saw-whet owls.
However, some species are endangered; for example, the northern spotted owl has been protected by the Endangered Species Act since 1990.
While owls are incredible nocturnal hunters, the dangers they face are often overlooked, says the American Bird Conservancy website. It adds that threats to their habitat, pesticides, and vehicle collisions have already sent a third of all owl species in the U.S. into decline.
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The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 479,900 views and 26,500 likes on the platform.
One user, Brittdenise, commented: “They looking at you like dang is she going to help or just stand and record.”
Kristianneearnha9 posted: “Get the animal control people ASAP. There might be some babies in that hole. I hope I’m not talking to you too late.”
Machell Hunter added: “Please tell me you rescued those babies and if so can I please come get one?”
Newsweek reached out to @wendyhockenberry for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.
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