Some animals can be a lot more quirky than we give them credit for. The only animals you might have the privilege of observing often are domestic cats and dogs. Now, don’t get me wrong, they can definitely be quirky and funny sometimes.

But they’re not the only ones who can be quirky.

Back in October, this man spotted an owl in Illinois with a very peculiar object in its grasp.

Eric Lind spotted the owl when it was carrying something a little too large to be a mouse. It didn’t seem like the owl planned to eat it. So what could it be keeping it for?

The object in the owl’s grasp was the head of a stuffed, stick horse toy. The kind kids pretend to ride.

Given that this was during the month of Halloween, it makes it pretty easy to guess how the owl got its talons on one of those.

You can’t deny it looks absurd, though. Maybe even a bit creepy and appropriate for the season?

Eric jokes that if any kid in the area is missing a stick horse, then maybe talking to the owl is what they’d want to do.

I don’t know, Eric. The owl looks pretty possessive of that horse now.

Some people were a little concerned for the owl.

“What if that stick horse is entangled or stuck in its claws?” some thought.

Eric assures everyone that this is definitely not the case.

He saw with his own eyes how the owl even changed its grip on the stick horse mid-flight.

So rather than being stuck, it seems like the owl really just doesn’t want to let go of it.

Plus, he added:

“If someone sees that the owl is in danger or believes it is hurt, I’m sure the proper authorities would be contacted…”

Even funnier, the way the owl carried it through the air was awfully reminiscent of a witch flying on a broomstick. As I said, pretty serendipitous, given that it was October. You can’t ask for a spookier bird than an owl, after all.

The owl in question is a great horned owl. One of the two largest owl species in the Americas.

It’s one of the most widely distributed of the owls, and its large size makes it possible to pick up objects like this.

Great horned owls usually go for small mammals like rats and rabbits. A stuffed, stick horse is a bit different from its usual dietary selection, let’s just say.

Another thing about great horned owls is that they don’t migrate to new territories.

They often stick around in the same territory for years, finding themselves comfortable or content with it.

And this is precisely what this owl did. According to Eric, this owl was seen around the neighborhood for 6 months and counting.

Maybe it’s looking for more toys and Halloween props to snatch?

Well, I hope it enjoys the one it has now. It doesn’t look like it’s giving it up anytime soon!

Give Eric’s cellphone video a watch below, and please share this article with your friends and family as well!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Eric Lind on Facebook, Great horned owl on Wikipedia