Recent Rescues

[den]

Barn owl. I took him out to the zoovets because he seemed to have a vision problem. Tim The Vet said he was blind in one eye, which means he can't be released. Tim is talking about putting him in a captive care programme but National Parks policy says the owl has to be euthanased. I'm going to pass this on to the experts, but I hope the owl gets a paper euthanasia and goes into care. He's really fit and healthy, apart from being blind, and has taken to captivity like a champion.

Comments

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

It's possible he has a slight vision problem, like a partial blindness in one eye; enough to see by but enough to impair him. This owl is totally blind in one eye.

Of course, he may also just be stupid.

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

Poor guy! Well, he seems to hunt well enough. I've tried getting the wildlife guys out here to snare and examine him but they don't seem interested. Florida's wildlife people are notoriously lax when it comes to doing their jobs.

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

It's really difficult and time consuming to catch a wild beastie that can fly. Trust me, I know. 8)

If you or Simtra can catch him take him to a zoo. However, if the owl seems to be surviving okay even with headbutting trees it's possible he's adjusted to his disability and you don't have to worry.

Find out if vets at a local zoo will examin wild animals. They're happy to help here, so I can't imagine they're different over there. It's important to ask about this before you take the bird there.

If possible, catch the bird when he's sitting on the ground. He'll be a little dazed and confused after hitting a tree. Throw a towel over him and wrap hime up well. Gloves are probably a good idea. Try to ruffle his feathers as little as possible. Owls require feather integrity in their hunting.

A good indication of how well he's hunting is to feel the breast bone. If it pokes out like a keel further than his pectoral muscles then he's not doing so well. It should be sunken into the chest, like our sternum. If his pupils react to light differently, or are different sizes, then he quite possibly has a head injury. It will take an expert to determin other injuries.

If you decide he should see a vet, place him in a dark box that is large enough for him to stand in. Poke a thick branch through the box a few inches off the floor of the box so he has somewhere to perch. And while transporting him you have to minimize noise, so no radios or CDs while the bird is in the car.

There. You've just had my crash-course in owl rescue. 8)

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

I don't think we'll be able to catch this fellow. He flies incredibly well and the blows don't seem to stun him. It's like one of those cartoons: he starts flying near dusk and then slams into a tree. He drops, usually grabs a branch and steadies. Then he tries again. On the nights we can't see him, we hear him. Most of the time the branches he tries for arent' big enough to hold him. He's absolutely huge too, about a foot and a half tall. If I knew what kind of owl he was, I might be able to track down his daytime resting place. The Jacksonville zoo goes indeed examine wild beasties and there are several raptor rescue organizations in the area.

[walkertxkitty.livejournal.com]

I tried, but we weren't able to catch him. He's too quick for us. He appears to be in fairly good condition though so maybe his sight isn't as badly damaged as first thought.