PAYSON, Ariz. — A driver with an alleged DUI has been accused of illegally purchasing an owl from a gas station in Payson, Arizona, officials say.
According to a news release from the Payson Police Department, early Thursday morning officers did a traffic stop and when they got up to the car, they found a young owl sitting next to the driver. During their investigation, officers learned that the owl was recently purchased by the driver at a gas station in the area.
PPD said that it is illegal to possess, transport, buy or sell wildlife in Arizona unless “expressly permitted by Arizona Revised Statues (AR-17-309).
“The Payson Police Department would also like to take this opportunity to encourage the public not to use methamphetamine or you too may find yourself illegally purchasing a wild owl, for $100 dollars, in the middle of the night, from strangers, at a local gas station,” said PPD.
According to KTVK, the unidentified driver was arrested for aggravated DUI, possession of methamphetamine and possession of wildlife.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department came to pick up the owl, which had minor injuries and could not be released back into the wild, according to KTVK.
No further information has been released.
©2022 Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/W7ENROVHIJC2TIVILEI6WSBHIA.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/3SUUUF6GS5A6PJGOC73LQAR2RE.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XQA7UZO3EZGMJCIH7DJKMRINZY.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/MRPFQPVQ2NABDFWOUXDL36I4NY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/FTDTX7LCHNGAHHXACH27FFYY7M.jpg)