We "rescued" an owl
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Yesterday, AJ and I were "truckin" south on Hwy 218 from Mt Pleasant, IA. There, in the middle of the "hammer" (fast) lane, was sitting a North American Barred Owl, obviously disoriented and not feeling too proud of himself. I was afraid he would be run over, so I flipped a U-turn and went back around to see if the bird was okay or at least to get it out of the road.
On second look, he was obviously injured, so I pulled over and got AJ's crate out. As I was directing traffic into the "granny" (slow) lane, I set up the crate, gently picked the bird up (wearing gloves, of course…raptors can get cranky) and put him into the crate. A very nice man driving an SUV blocked the lane with his car so I could safely do this.
After I got the bird into the truck and covered the crate with blankets to darken it, I called the local sheriff's office and reported I had an injured owl. Apparently he had been hit by a car: his left leg and foot were fairly well damaged and he was very disoriented. He didn't even try to peck me. His wings seemed to be in good condition and overall, he seemed in salvageable condition. He may have been disoriented simply because of the time of day. Barred Owls are most active during the darkest part of the night (midnight to 4 am) so the light probably hurt his eyes and he was tired.
AJ, of course, wanted to know who was borrowing his crate. He had a very brief sniff, realized this critter wasn't going to play, got bored quickly and went to lay down. The sheriff showed up with a cat carrier and took the bird to a vet who, he said, "deals with this sort of thing." I named the owl "Kentucky" because I found him on Hwy 218 near the crossroad Kentucky Ave. just south of Mt Pleasant, IA. (I say "him" throughout this because I looked the bird up and he seemed too small to be a female. But I'm no expert.) AJ was awesome throughout. He never bothered the owl or the deputy who showed up.
I wish there was a way to get some follow-up on the story of this bird, but I don't know where the deputy took him. I will hope he gets well and is released successfully. If he can't be released, I hope he goes to a very good zoo or aviary. Here's a pic of "Kentucky." It's not very good, but it was taken with my cel phone.
Cheers
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AJs Human- that was a really nice and brave thing you did. Its not easy to a)manuaver a 18 wheeler on the freeway with traffic and then to get out on the highway and get the bird in a crate. I do hope the bird gets the medical attention it needs and is able to be released or go to a zoo.
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What a great story..must have been a good feeling helping little Kentucky out..
I am proud of AJ for leaving it alone, not Otis, he would've been working his nose on overdrive..He does that with our poor chickens and rooster. -
It wonderful we can help all animals in need.
Good for you to stop and help. -
You did your best, lets hope Kentucky is ok
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Hey AJ's Human! Thanks for the pick up of this owl, you are a rescuer extraodinaire!!
If you want to follow up on this little guy, call the sheriff's office that transported him and ask for a drop off site, or you can check with the following people….
The nearest Vet certified in wildlife rehab: http://www.riversidevet.com/ Muscatine, IA
The closest certified rehabbers or centers to Mt.Pleasant:
Robin Kent, Hawkeye Wildlife, (319) 646-2619 Washington, IA
David Bakke, Muskatine County Conservation BD , (563) 264-5922I always cross my fingers and hope the 'responding party' gets the injured wildlife to the proper person/facility.
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@AJs:
That deputy seemed like a really nice guy who cared. (Huge son-of-a-gun, too…completely filled my driver side door.) I didn't sense any dishonesty with him. Also, he agreed with me when I was admiring the bird. Beautiful animal.
I hope I didn't imply otherwise. He sounded wonderful and well informed.
Unfortunately not all people realize that when an injured wild animal is taken to vets, they are sometime euthanized without cause. Rehab centers rock, and vets that get certified to rehab are the BEST!!!
Again, thanks for another great rescue:D
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Great thing you did…Keep at it. On the road, you have much more ability to see and/or care about all of these creatures, in a timley manner, than most of us. I usually see the "roadkill" aspect, after the fact. It kills me every time I see it regardless of the animal, even the lowly possum (lots of around here).
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Good job. Many, many years ago, my grandfather pulled a great horned owl out of his chimney. We were visiting later that day, so he kept it for 1/2 a day to show me then released it. Owls are fascinating.
Here's one I made:
and the white one
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Agilebasenji..I love those owls you made, are the felted?
I so wish I know how to make those..beautiful work. -
@AJs:
Those are adorable! And better pic's than the lame one I took of Kentucky. I'm kind of a dolt sometimes. Three cameras in my truck and I use my phone??? :D
oh well, you had other things on your mind at the time.
Thanks Basenjimomma. Yes they are felted; the top layer is done with specialty wools - mohair for the white and lincoln for the brown. Felting is a lot of fun, time consuming, but not too difficult. You may want to see if your local library has a book on felting and pick it up. It may give you some idea if it is something you want to do.
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I will look into the library route.
I have felted some purses in the past so the knit and felt I know how to do, but these owls are exquisite… -
I just love your Owls agilebasenji, especialy the White one
