What happened to the owl found on the Noble Patriot oil rig?

The short-eared owl was discovered exhausted and disorientated on the Noble Patriot oil rig in the North Sea. It was fed raw chicken for a couple of days before being airlifted to safety and taken to the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary.

How did the owl end up on the oil rig?

The owl was likely attempting to migrate from Scandinavia when it was caught up in Storm Amy and blown off course, eventually landing on the offshore platform.

Where is the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary located?

The Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the Shetland Islands, where the rescued owl was taken after being airlifted from the oil rig.

Home / Environment / Helicopter Airlifts Exhausted Owl from North Sea Oil Rig

Helicopter Airlifts Exhausted Owl from North Sea Oil Rig

12 Oct

•

Summary

Owl rescued from Noble Patriot oil rig 180 miles off Shetland coast
Owl fed raw chicken for 2 days before helicopter airlift to safety
Owl named "Oli" by oil rig workers, now being cared for at wildlife sanctuary

Helicopter Airlifts Exhausted Owl from North Sea Oil Rig

On October 10th, 2025, a short-eared owl was rescued by helicopter from an offshore oil rig in the North Sea, approximately 180 miles off the coast of Shetland. The owl, which was discovered by workers on the Noble Patriot platform, had been blown off course by the recent Storm Amy and was found in a state of exhaustion and disorientation.

The oil rig staff cared for the bird, feeding it raw chicken for a couple of days, before arranging for it to be airlifted to safety on Friday, October 11th. The owl, affectionately named "Oli" by the workers, was then transported to the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary on the Shetland Islands.

At the sanctuary, the short-eared owl was examined by a veterinary nurse and found to be in good health, though rather thin from its ordeal. The bird is now being "fattened up" on a diet of mice and chicks before being released back into the wild where it belongs.

"It has been an incredible experience," said Pete Bevington of the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary. "What a treat for everyone who came into contact with this beautiful creature. Many thanks to everyone involved in this rescue operation."

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.