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Snowy owl found injured in Boston highway tunnel dies

BOSTON — A snowy owl found injured in an unusual place in Boston has died.

State Environmental Police rescued the owl Wednesday night from inside the Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Jr. Tunnel, a main artery in the Big Dig subterranean highway system. Police said on Twitter the black and white owl had been struck by a vehicle.

The owl was taken to the Tufts Wildlife Clinic for treatment.

Clinic assistant director Maureen Murray says it died a few hours later.

Murray said the owl "was not appropriately responsive to its environment" and had an open wound on its foot.

The clinic will try to determine possible underlying causes for the owl's death.

The large owls are not unusual in Massachusetts in the winter.

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