TEN-YEAR-OLD Adam Blackwell got to grips with Ben the Indian Eagle Owl at a Science Oxford event.

Owl expert Rod Smallman showed off eight of the nocturnal birds and answered questions from the audience at the children’s event on Tuesday.

The creatures came from the Owls Galore sanctuary at Hawthorne Lodge Veterinary Surgery, in Banbury, which cares for birds too badly injured or treated to return to the wild.

Adam, from Northmoor, was Mr Smallman’s assistant after he arrived early to the show.

He said: “It was scary to hold him at first but when I got the hang of it was really fun.

“They are really nice, beautiful birds and I thought they were really colourful.

“But they have really sharp claws.”

The Standlake Primary School pupil added: “It was a really good day out.”

His mum Denise Blackwell said: “Afterwards he said to me that it was the best day he had had this holiday and he has done a lot of things this week.”