A family in Kentucky got a big surprise this week when they found out a baby owl had been living in their Christmas tree for four days without them knowing.

The homeowner, Michelle White, said they brought the tree into their house without realizing there was an owl inside. It was only when a carpet cleaner, Bobby Hayes, saw the owl while working in their home that they found out.

Hayes, who owns Magic Carpet Cleaning, said, “The owl was just sitting on a lower branch. It crawled up into the tree, and it took me a few minutes to find it.”

White was shocked when she learned about the hidden owl. She mentioned, “I have three dogs, and we use this room all the time. We watch TV here, and the kitchen is right nearby. There was no sign of the owl.”

Hayes sent White a picture of himself holding the owl, and she initially thought it was a joke. She said, “I thought he had put a stuffed animal or an ornament in there, so I called him right away. I asked, ‘Are you kidding me?’ He said, ‘No.’”

Hayes released the owl back into the wild, and now White plans to knit an ornament of the bird to put on her tree.