Great Horn gets Unstuck

From Hoo's Woods

The holiday season is an exceptionally busy time, and yesterday was no exception at Hoo's Woods, with several new patients including this Great Horned Owl we've named Timber.

Timber was found hanging from barbed wire with a significantly injured wing. His prognosis is heavily guarded. Owls are active at night and are unable to differentiate thin, stationary objects like wire in low light, making barbed wire especially dangerous and nearly invisible after dark. We were able to talk the finders through safely freeing Timber by placing a dark sheet over his head to help calm him and allowing him to grab a towel with his dangling feet. This helped prevent further injury to both Timber and the finder.

The finder did absolutely the right thing by contacting us and not attempting to release him.

Coincidentally, we also received a call for a barred owl from a different location that had become tangled in wire, but that bird was referred to a rehabilitation center closer to the finder so it could receive help as quickly as possible. Timber is now warm, safe, and receiving care.