Neighbours in South Dakota have come together to rescue a wounded owl found tangled in barbed wire.

Sharon Scott spotted the bird in trouble and called for help. A small group gathered, and with wirecutters in hand, they carefully freed the owl.

A vet who met them at his office removed two steel barbs from the bird and said it would be able to fly again.

Scott then called wildlife centres to find the best place for the owl’s recovery. The Black Hills Raptor Center agreed to take it in.

The centre said the owl should ideally be released in the same area where it was found. Scott says she plans to be there when it happens.

“Everybody’s goal was to get this beautiful creature taken care of,” she told Cowboy State Daily.

The rescue is a reminder of how small acts of kindness — and a pair of wirecutters — can save a life.