Christmas tree: Kentucky family stunned to find baby owl living in festively-decorated tree for four days

It's a Christmas miracle! A family were stunned to find a baby owl had been living in their Christmas tree for four days, despite having being decorated with lights and baubles. The small animal was not spotted for days while it was nestled inside the tree placed in the living room of the US family's Kentucky home.

Michele White said the family had picked out the tree as part of their annual Christmas tradition. However, things panned out quite differently from previous Christmases. Speaking to WKDY-TV, she said: "I have three dogs. We use this room nonstop - watch TV, the kitchen’s right here, (we had) no indication.”

When Bobby Hayes, a carpet cleaner, arrived at the home to do some work for the family while they were out, he spotted the peaceful intruder in the tree. He said: “The owl was literally sitting on a lower limb here. It crawled up into the tree further. It took me several minutes to even find it. Everybody’s going to be able to have a Merry Christmas now.”

He sent photos to Ms White, who said she was glad Mr Hayes was on hand to deal with the animal. Mr Hayes said he was able to safely release the owl in the family's back garden.

Now that's an unforgettable Christmas memory. Let us know if you've ever had a unique experience related to your Christmas tree at [email protected]