Fairfax County Animal Control officers rescued a one-eyed, elderly owl that motorists and pedestrians saw flying wildly into cars, signs and buildings, county police officials said.

For four days last week, officers went to the intersection of Richmond Highway and Sacramento Drive to investigate reports about the owl. On Friday, officers were finally able to rescue the bird, working to capture him for more than an hour after he perched on a wire at the intersection that was about 20 feet off the ground.

Officers threw towels up at the owl, and they netted him after he landed on a parking lot. The owl appeared to be ill and malnourished, officials said, and he would not have been able to hunt because one of his eyes was missing and the other was covered in cataracts.

The bird was taken to a raptor rehabilitation center in Falls Church, where it is in stable condition. Although the owl is expected to survive, it may have to live in captivity because of its diminished hunting ability.

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njagoda@washingtonexaminer.com