On March 4, a barred owl was brought to the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown, weak with hunger and suffering from an injured eye. After several weeks in rehabilitation, during which the vets attempted to build the bird’s strength up before surgery, the eye was removed on March 21.
Since the operation, the AVC says that the owl has demonstrated signs of improvement and has recovered enough to be released back into the wild.
“We thought let’s give it a good head start and bring it to an area where it’s really good habitat for owls—an area with bigger trees—and that’s Macphail Woods,” wildlife technician Fiep de Bie told CBC. The large, mature trees in this area make for excellent nesting places and will improve the chances of the owl’s survival.
Even with the loss of an eye, the AVC says the owl should have no problem hunting. Being able to turn his head 270-degrees will definitely come in handy!
