Flying High Again

Every animal that finds its way into a wildlife rehab facility is special and is treated with the utmost of care and respect. But every once in a while you meet one that you never forget.

Today was release day for a beautiful Great Horned Owl, and I arrived at The Owl Foundation to pick him up and bring him back with me.  Before I left I was given this owl's history and realized that this one was extra special.

He had been found tangled in some fencing (an all too common occurrence) and had a severely damaged tendon.  While it was determined he would survive, he was also in all likelihood non-releasable because he would never be able to successfully hunt for food. So best case, he would live his life out at TOF and become a foster dad to next year's orphaned baby Great Horneds.  Much better than the alternative, but never the desired outcome.

When he was admitted, TOF decided to give him a month to see if there was any chance for release.  A month passed and surprisingly, there was a tiny bit of improvement, so they decided to wait another month. 

At the end of that month, a tiny bit more improvement....and so it went.

There were two big obstacles to overcome:  could he ever hunt on his own, and could he turn in flight.

Well this owl defied all odds and not only did he start successfully hunting on his own, he started turning in his flight cage!

TOF cared for this bird for 1.5 years!  Never giving up, always being teased by the little bit of improvement they saw month after month.

Tonight I had the great honour of releasing him.  I was nervous about it...would his flight be strong, would he stick the landing...would he be ok in a forest on his own?   

When he was released he stormed out of that kennel cab, you could feel the power in his flight (though you couldn't hear it); he not only landed in a tree but maneuvered through limbs to choose his branch. He then flew back toward where we were standing, carving through the air.  At one point he jumped straight up off his branch and in mid air, changed direction.  

I've never seen such a display in agility in all the owls I've released - most typically fly into a tree and then you lose them.  It was like he had something to prove, showing us that he was every bit as able as he used to be, and he did it with such strength and confidence.  It seemed like he had never left that forest, showing no sign of trepidation at all.

I'm so grateful to TOF for doing what they do, and for believing every single creature deserves a fighting chance.  Amazing job ladies!

And to be able to share this release with two friends, Janice and Craig, who I know were every bit as moved as I was made it even more special.  What a great night!