Last week, the folks at A Place Called Hope (APCH) received a puzzling picture of a barred owl in need. The owl had seemingly landed in somebody’s yard, which wasn’t that unusual. But it was his stance — with his left wing extended up to the sky while
the rest of his body stayed still — that confused the rescuers.
“Now this is a first!” APCH wrote on Facebook. “For us, anyhow.”
The Good Samaritans who’d found the owl called their local animal control in West Hartford, Connecticut, for help first. An officer named Kim soon arrived, and she was able to figure out exactly what was going on with the little guy.
“This poor Barred Owl happened to get snagged by a plumbing snake pole!” APCH wrote. “Such a strange encounter.”
Officer Kim carefully removed the owl from the pole, then drove him straight to APCH. Upon arrival, veterinarians gave the owl a thorough checkup and got a clearer view of his injuries.
“The wire has a sharp bend at the end that impaled this owl’s wing tissue,” APCH wrote. “The wire pierced entirely through the skin, leaving a hole and a very sore wing as the owl struggled to get free.”
You can read more about this rescue here:
The owl’s injuries on his wing were severe, but luckily, he was otherwise healthy and strong enough to recover. The veterinary team swiftly repaired his injuries and started him on a treatment plan to help him heal faster.
While the sweet owl’s injuries were less than ideal, he’d landed at the perfect place to recover.
“He is safe now, and healing has begun,” APCH wrote. “Cold laser therapy begins today.”
The resilient owl still has a lengthy healing journey ahead of him, but his rescuers are confident that he’ll make a full recovery soon. Until then, they’ll keep tending to the little guy and educating their community on how to avoid such devastating accidents.
“Please remember to put away tools, sports equipment or anything that may cause injury to our wildlife,” APCH wrote. “It may have never happened before, but never say never.”
