Entangled Owl Gets Lucky

A Great Horned Owl with feet ensnared in a net is cloaked in a white towel and held by a Sarvey rehabber indoors. One plumicorn is flat, the other a little puffy, and both are tucked under the towel. The owl has girthy talons the size of door handles, not that you'd want to handle them. The rehabber wears a Sarvey-branded tee, and with one blurple-gloved hand holds the owl's leg; the other is unseen, presumably behind the towel and scooched under the owl's bum. The owl looks like she's been through a struggle, with narrow pupils like she's possessed and Tubular Bells is about to play. But we all know the spookiest thing here is Nets Left Out After Dark. Which segues to picture no.2, the 'before' shot . . .

16th of Owltober!

Wildlife entanglements are an all too common event. When hunting in the dark owls can fail to see the strings of the nets and get caught. I’ve bookmarked far too many owls trapped in garden nets, soccer nets, and in this case, the net of a high school batting cage.

Prior to being rescued, a dark feathery shape is caught in the string mesh of a high school batting cage. The Great Horned Owl is silhouetted and backlit by early morning sun, legs high and wings low, and, despite being upside down, she's able to turn her head to camera with a level head. The pipe-frame cage has the classic diamond-shaped chain link on the outer walls and a similar shape for the inner string net, although with the wide depth of field it all kind of blends into one. The owl has an exasperated face and slightly drooped upper eyelids, as if to say "Well, well. Look who decided to show up."

While this owl was lucky to survive unharmed, the outcome is frequently much worse: severe cuts, loss of circulation, broken bones, extreme stress, or starvation, any of which can be fatal.

And it’s so so easy to avoid.

How you can help: Use small-mesh netting birds can see, or take nets down and store them safely when not in use.

And this Owl-o-ween, please refrain from decorations like synthetic spider webs and opt instead for naturally-sourced materials like paper or cloth.

On to the story of this lucky GHOW…

Original post – 15 May 2023
by Sarvey Wildlife Care Center

located in Arlington, Washington, US 🇺🇸
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Original text:

Patient of the Week – Entanglement Rescue – this Great Horned owl was discovered early this morning caught in the netting of a batting cage. Staff at the high school in Lake Stevens reported the situation and our staff arrived to rescue the owl. She was taken to the wildlife hospital to be examined. Fortunately, she was found to be healthy and free of any injuries. She was able to be released late this afternoon back into her territory!

Link to donate to Sarvey Wildlife Care Center for those willing and able.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

SpeciesCommon NameMore info
Bubo virginianusGreat Horned OwlWiki link

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