A can-sized owl huddled in the bushes behind a house in New York City, Usa, shivering. It accidentally hit a building during the flight, was injured, was in great pain, and had a swollen eye that could not be opened. It felt dizzy and very weak, so it had to land urgently in a backyard. Now, it barely moves, but if it is not rescued, it will be life-threatening.
Urgently needed help
The owner found the owl while working in the yard. He thought the owl would fly away, but the owl stayed motionless by the bushes. A few days later, out of concern, the homeowner put the owl in a shoebox and drove it to Central Park. The headquarters of the New York City Parks and Recreation Authority is in Central Park. The city park ranger here, Rob Mastriani, carefully examined the owl's physical condition. He believes that this is a palm ghost owl about 1 year old. The owl lives most of its time in Canada, but passes through New York when flying south for the winter. Its injuries showed that it had hit something and suffered a severe blow to the head. Mastriani said: "The palm ghost owl migrates for more than 480 kilometers, and the whole journey makes them very tired, so there is a possibility of hitting the building. ”
The process of eating
Mastriani was not well placed to care for the injured owl, so he sent the owl to the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Massapocqua, New York. Staff member Kathy Hovat took X-rays of the owl, which weighed about 85 grams. The results showed that its wings were not injured. Horvat also gave it a drug to reduce swelling and reduce pain. She also gave the owl a name, "Jolson."
After taking the medication, Hovat carefully placed the little guy in a pet box. The injured Jolson stayed inside with his head bowed and his eyes closed. It needed food, but it was too tired to eat on its own, so Howat fed it little by little with forceps on frozen rat meat.
A few days later, Jolson showed signs of improvement. It often jumps around in the kennel and regains its appetite. Now, instead of feeding it small pieces of minced meat, Horwatt gave it half a dead mouse. Jolson tore the flesh with his beak before eating, just as he did in the wild. "It's small, but it's fierce and funny." Hovat said.
After Jolson was able to feed on his own, Horvatt put it in a paddock 1.2 meters wide and 1.8 meters long so that he could practice flying. Jolson flew to a 1.5-meter-high perch and made a clicking sound in his mouth, trying to scare away Hovat. "We don't want it to be too dependent on people, so that's a good sign." Hovat said.
Big City Bird
A month later, Jolson could be released. Horvatt took it in her kennel and drove to New York's Central Park, where she met Mastriani. New York is one of the largest cities in the world, and there are many wildlife such as owls, falcons and more. The staff found a quiet place and opened the kennel. Jolson flew to a nearby tree and landed on a branch. "It felt so good to watch it fly away, it was finally free again." Hovat said.