This is what owls look like without feathers and it's utterly chilling

Owls are great. They’re able to turn their heads around 360 degrees, and they’re nothing short of feathery brilliance.

But then we discovered something horrific, something that has been forever seared into our cerebral cortex: OWLS WITHOUT FEATHERS.

Twitter user Dana Schwartz posted a picture of the usually adorable birds in their skeletal form – and it’s like something that not even our darkest nightmares would be capable of conjuring up.

They’re extremely skinny – and have a skull that doesn’t look too dissimilar from a 17th century plague mask.

The whole thing seriously shook us up, and it seems that we’re not the only ones.

One user, who wasn’t taking any risks, wrote: ‘Kill it with fire.’

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And for others, there was a simple answer to all of this.

And for others, it was time to shut down that laptop. Pronto.

So yes, we sincerely apologise for shattering all memories of the adorable, wise creatures that have been anthropomorphised by humans for decades.

In return, here’s a reassuring gif of how an owl SHOULD look.

Aaaaand breathe. Phew.