AN owl sanctuary owner has issued an urgent appeal for help after two rare birds of prey escaped during a storm.

Rose Dawson said Canadian great horned owls Bramble and Briar, which stand at about 2ft tall and have wing spans of more than 4ft, flew off after a tree branch crashed onto an aviary overnight on Wednesday, October 9.

Mrs Dawson has run a private sanctuary at Long Acre, Sowerby, since being approached by vet Donald Sinclair, who was portrayed in the James Herriot books as Siegfried Farnon, with an injured barn owl 26 years ago.

She said after a community-backed search one of the 11-month-old owls, Briar, had been found a mile from her sanctuary in Topcliffe Road, but concerns were mounting for Bramble, as he would be unable to feed himself.

The bed and breakfast guesthouse owner, who cares for 35 owls, said: “We have been everywhere looking for him, have handed out 1,000 leaflets and have contacted a wide range of organisations without luck so far.

“He is an absolutely beautiful bird with brown and white flecks who screetches rather than hoots and will be quite frightened and weak after not having fed for a week.”

Anyone with information, can call 0774-984-5979 or 0784-984-6053.