An owl is a wild animal that lives in trees in rural locations and tends to come out at night to hunt for prey.
In mainstream Smurfs media, Mother Nature has a pet owl that she sends to Papa Smurf whenever she has a message to send to him. In the comic book story "Baby Owl" from Forever Smurfette, Smurfette raises and protects a baby owl she found in the forest until it grows to adult size.