These owls got some new digs.<\/p>\n
A group of barn owls who\u2019s nest in Manhattan was recently torn apart by a construction crew \u2014 enraging locals and sparking a state probe<\/a> \u2014 have been given a new home.<\/p>\n The state Department of Environmental Conservation on Saturday said they erected a new nesting area for the clan after the careless demolition of their former digs, which were in a water tower on top of a building on West 75th Street and Central Park West.<\/p>\n Construction crews demolished a barn owl nest located atop an Upper West Side building this week. Anke Frohlich\/ankefrohlich.com<\/p>\n \u201cTo protect any barn owls at the site, an alternative roost location (i.e. owl box) was installed under the direction and oversight of DEC,\u201d the agency said in a statement to The Post Saturday that included a pic of the new wooden, birdhouse-like nesting area.<\/p>\n The department \u201cis committed to protecting native wildlife and ensuring their safety and well-being\u201d and \u201ccontinues to monitor the site of an active barn owl roost near a water tower on West 75th Street, Manhattan,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have since installed this \u201calternate roost location\u201d for the beloved owls. Credit: Obtained by NY Post<\/p>\n Construction crews first wrecked the owls\u2019 nest while dismantling a water tower on the Upper West Side building earlier this week, and DEC police ordered demolition to stop so the agency could investigate potential violations.\u00a0<\/p>\n But just hours after being slapped with the stop-work order Friday, the construction crews restarted their work and continued to wreck the nest.<\/p>\n It is illegal to destroy an active barn owl nest as the species is protected by state law.<\/p>\n