Owl chicks rescued from Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage are named after Guns N' Roses
Meet Axl and Slash!
Two owl chicks discovered underneath The Pyramid Stage during Glastonbury Festival last month have been named after headliners Guns N’ Roses.
The first ultra-cute owl chick was found under the Stage Left steps of The Pyramid Stage during Guns N’ Roses’ two-and-a-half-hour headline set on Saturday 24th June.
The person who found the chick named it Axl after Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose and initially took it to RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife near Taunton. Axl was soon transferred to Secret World Wildlife Rescue, a Somerset-based wildlife charity.
Just 24 hours after the discovery of Axl, a second chick was found in the same place under The Pyramid Stage, and it was also taken to Secret World Wildlife Rescue.
Thought to be Axl’s sibling, the chick was given the moniker of Slash in homage to the Guns N’ Roses guitar legend.
Commenting on Axl and Slash, David Plant, Fundraising Manager at Secret World Wildlife Rescue, said: “When Guns N’ Roses were playing ‘Welcome to the Jungle’, I’m sure they didn’t realise how close they actually were to wildlife! This is possibly the most unusual disturbance case we’ve heard about this year, but it just goes to show the importance of checking your surroundings for wildlife before any activity.
“The Pyramid Stage frame is left in place all year when Worthy Farm goes back to being a dairy farm. Clearly a pair of little owls thought it would be a great place to make a nest. They are a cavity-nesting species, favouring holes in old trees, but they have been recorded nesting in rabbit holes and take well to man-made nest boxes.”
Plant continued: “Whether you’re renovating your garden, or setting up for the world’s biggest musical festival, our advice is always the same: if you’ve got materials or structures that have been in place for a while, please check them carefully before moving anything, as you may end up disturbing a nest.
“It looks like the parents sadly abandoned their nest once festival preparation began, so it’s difficult to say how long the chicks were left alone. We’re so grateful to the people who found and helped them; they must have been terrified after enduring almost two full days of loud music.
“We’re hopeful that they won’t be ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ any time soon, and we’ll be making plans to return them to the wild once they’re old enough, so they’ll get their chance to experience some ‘November Rain’ later in the year.”
If you’d like to help support the owls’ rehabilitation and eventual release, please consider a donation via the SWWR website RIGHT HERE.
See incredible photos of Guns N' Roses at BST Hyde Park:
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses rock American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Darkness
The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Darkness
The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Darkness play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Pretenders
The Pretenders play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Pretenders
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The Pretenders
The Pretenders play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Pretenders
The Pretenders play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Pretenders
The Pretenders play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Pretenders
The Pretenders play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Pretenders
The Pretenders play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Pretenders
The Pretenders play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Pretenders play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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Larkin Poe play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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Larkin Poe play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Larkin Poe
Larkin Poe play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Larkin Poe
Larkin Poe play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Larkin Poe
Larkin Poe play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Larkin Poe
Larkin Poe play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Larkin Poe
Larkin Poe play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Larkin Poe
Larkin Poe play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Larkin Poe
Larkin Poe play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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The Dust Coda
The Dust Coda play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Dust Coda
The Dust Coda play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Dust Coda
The Dust Coda play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Dust Coda
The Dust Coda play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Dust Coda
The Dust Coda play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
The Dust Coda
The Dust Coda play American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
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Dirty Honey headline The Rainbow Stage at American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Dirty Honey
Dirty Honey headline The Rainbow Stage at American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Dirty Honey
Dirty Honey headline The Rainbow Stage at American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London
Dirty Honey
Dirty Honey headline The Rainbow Stage at American Express presents BST Hyde Park in London