A Barred Owl flew down from a tree and perched itself on a man’s shoulder after he paused to catch his breath during a Saturday run in Northeast Ohio.
Joe Vanek stopped to take a break after running 13 miles through the sprawling Mill Creek Park in Mahoning County, Ohio, when an owl landed on his shoulder, where it remained perched for around 20 to 30 seconds — long enough for him to snap a photo — WKBN reported.
“He came out of nowhere,” Vanek told the outlet. “I heard a branch, but that was all I heard. I never heard him swooping. He was like a stealth bomber. I’m still amazed on how quiet he was.”
Vanek said the owl was perched so close, “His feather was tickling my ear.” He added that while he wasn’t scared, he resisted the urge to turn his head to avoid potentially spooking the wild animal into using its claws or pecking at his face.
Instead, Vanek opted for pulling out his phone to take a photo.
“It’s definitely one of the coolest things that’s happened to me,” he said.
Vanek told WKBN that before his encounter with the Barred Owl, the “coolest” experience he has had with wildlife was a few years ago, when a fawn joined him on a run, weaving in and out of the path around him.
“Up until Saturday, that was the coolest experience I’ve had with wildlife,” he said. “I’ve always had just this — I don’t know what it is — but my close friends always say I should be a character in a Disney movie.”
Vanek and his wife did some research on owls after his experience on Saturday, WKBN reported.
“So what my wife found out is that it is mating season, and they tend to get territorial and swoop down if you get too close to a nest,” he said. “I don’t know if there’s one up there that I got too close to.”
Barred Owls will lay two to three eggs that typically hatch between late-March and mid-April, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
On Wednesday, Vanek took to social media to post additional photos — and a video — of Barred Owls, writing, “I wanted to share a little more context behind the recent owl photo,” adding that the images he posted are “just a small glimpse” into his wildlife encounters.
“Encounters with wildlife have never been unusual for me,” he continued. “For as long as I can remember, animals have found their way into my life — some just passing through as if to say hello, others needing a helping hand.”
“My wife and I try to live with kindness toward every living thing we come across,” Vanek wrote. “Even the smallest visitors — spiders or insects that wander into our home — are gently returned outside.”
“It’s simply how we choose to live, and how we hope to be remembered,” he added. “I like to believe animals can sense that energy.”
“These moments aren’t something I seek out — they just seem to happen,” Vanek said. “And while I know the world often looks for explanations, sometimes it’s nice to just appreciate the connection for what it is.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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