An osprey nest resting upon an old AT&T cell tower in Helena, MT, created an interesting problem for crews that were planning to dismantle the tower. The two Ospreys, which is a protected species, had been using the tower as a seasonal home for several years.
AT&T consulted with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks division before it began removing the nest from the top of the tower. AT&T also received authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before they started. According to RCR Wireless, the nest was covered by a tarp, and secured with heavy straps to ensure safe removal. Only after the nest was safeguarded did crews begin taking down the tower.
Meanwhile, locals concerned about the welfare of the Ospreys were becoming problematic for the workers. Although they were uninformed as far as the precautions crews had already taken in regards to the Ospreys, the crowd still harassed the workers and proved a distraction from the mission of keeping the birds safe. Local authorities arrived to calm the crowd.
This particular nest of Ospreys last made headlines in 2014 when a group of elementary school children wrote to lawmakers in Washington, DC, for help with the birds after the Ospreys snagged a potentially dangerous piece of twine for their nest. AT&T sent a crew to safely remove the twine from the nest. The tower had been unused for more than a year before it was removed.
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