We admitted a great horned owl that was the victim of a vehicle strike on July 21st, and on August 19th he was released. Upon admission, he could not even stand, and, according to rehabber Emma Blackwood, would not leave the little towel “donut” that had been placed in his enclosure to help him stay propped up.
Although those first 24 hours were “scary,” Emma said that the owl did really well in care, even though he was affectionately known as “a puker!”
Initially, the owl could not eat on his own, and so he was tube fed a “carn diet,” or carnivore diet, which was necessary in order to get him the protein he needed.
After the first few tube feedings, back in his enclosure, the owl, quite dramatically, would reject what he had just been fed. Although this meant another feeding, this “spunky” behavior became one of the reasons why the rehab team enjoyed caring for this owl.
