RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Good morning, I'm Rachel Martin. And on this day, a rare and beautiful white owl is flying free. The bird was trapped in a bunch of barbed wire near the Smithfield prison in Huntington, Penn. A state game commission officer used a crate and net to coax the owl to safety. He came out with some minor skin tears but is expected to make a full recovery. And yes, while we celebrate that fact, it is all really an excuse to play this.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FREE BIRD")
LYNYRD SKYNYRD: (Singing) I'm a free bird, yeah.
MARTIN: It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.