The other day, a high school teacher named Jon was out for a stroll when he noticed a strange brown blob hanging from a reed. Confused, Jon got a closer look and realized the object was actually a long-eared owl, who was hopelessly stuck in a tangle of fishing line.

Shocked, the teacher’s brain began working in overdrive.

“My immediate thought was, ‘Number one, what do I do? Number two, how do I do it? Number three, how much time do we have?” Jon told Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) in a YouTube video about the incident.

Jon called TWC for help. Soon, a rescuer arrived and safely contained the bird, whose wing appeared to be injured.

According to the YouTube video, Jon then collected all of the fishing line he could find, hoping to avoid another situation like this.

Safe at TWC, the owl received necessary veterinary attention. TWC notes in the video that the bird is currently enjoying her recovery, spending lots of time in an outdoor aviary, where she’ll live until she’s healthy enough for release.

Jon hopes to use this animal rescue story as a way to teach his students about the importance of looking out for the natural world.

“I’ve used this experience and this story to try to pump some life into these kids,” Jon told TWC. “We have a pretty good example about why we do have to be mindful about what we’re using and what we consume and how we actually dispose of it.”