Owl

A great horned owl was found shot near Santa Paula during November of last year, and a few days ago, it was finally healed enough to be released back into the wild where it belongs. 

As reported by VC Star, getting the owl the help that it needed after such a tragic discovery was a team effort. Sergio Gutierrez, a Santa Paula Police Officer, corralled the owl. Following that, Nikki Ruhl, a veterinary technician with the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC), gathered up the injured bird. Ruhl then brought the owl to the Ojai Raptor Center for specialized care. Once there, a staff veterinarian, Dr. Stephany Lewis, discovered that the bird had three pellets inside it: one in her chest, the other in her leg, and the third having broken the ulna bone in her wing. On top of that, the pellets left the owl suffering from led poisoning.

The treatment for this injury was not an easy one. "After treatment in the raptor center's intensive care unit, the adult owl moved to an outdoor enclosure where she had several weeks of flight time in a large aviary," write VC Star. A senior staff member at the center said she had never seen an owl with a gunshot wound. It is more likely to see shot hawks and vultures since they are active during the day, but great horned owls prefer hunting at twilight. 

The owl weighed less than 3 pounds and was fully grown - at least three years old, though it's impossible to tell her age beyond that. Jaclyn DeSantis, senior staff member at the center, about returning the owl back into the wild, said: "She should be breeding right now. She should be at a nest."

The owl traveled with DeSantis in a bright blue cat carrier to the release site, and patiently waited outside the Ojai Raptor Center's van. They made sure to release the owl at dusk, when she would be protected from attacks by crows or ravens. You can see pictures of the owl as she was taken out of her cage, looking around and taking in her environment before finally taking off and disappearing in the trees.

We want to thank all the hard work done by everyone involved in this owl's story, you're doing an incredible job. For more stories of owls being released into the wild, click right here. 

About a month ago, Atlantic Veterinary College staff found an emaciated and dehydrated snowy owl near Souris, P.E.I. and rescued it. Finally, after a month in capable hands, the beautiful bird was released back into the wild. 

As reported by CBC news, an intern with the Atlantic Veterinary College Wildlife Service, Dr. Hugo Gonzalez, said that it was "amazing" for the students and staff to see the owl fly off back into the wild. And we have to agree, seeing a wild bird released back to where it's supposed to be is always a beautiful thing. 

"To be able to see a patient who came with severe emaciation, not even able to properly move or eat, up to the point where you can see that the full recovery process has been successful and just have that moment to see her properly [fly], it's definitely an amazing moment for you," Dr. Gonzalez added. 

He also reminds people that if they ever see a snowy owl in the wild, it's important to only admire it from a distance. If you come across a bird in distress, contact local officials.

Read another beautiful story about an owl getting released back into the wild right here.

Imagine discovering a tree full of magical-looking animals right in your backyard. It must feel absolutely magical. Like stepping into a fairytale, Snow White going on a stroll in the woods, walking to a bunch of adorable owls. 

This twitter thread tells the story of a person who must have felt that exact way, walking into their neighbor's backyard and finding a tree full of the most unique, magical-looking owls in a tree right in their backyard. Personally, having never come across this type of owl before, I would been stunned. A huge group of gorgeous red-eyed long-eared owls are living in their person's backyard, and they are so beautiful it's hard to look away.

There at the right place at the right time, a Hartland family of a husband, wife, and three children was on the way to go sledding when an owl swooped down onto a car in front of them. The owl laid in the middle of the road after being hit while the car that hit it drove away as if nothing happened. Luckily, the Haley family was there to help. 

Canceling their plans, the family got out of their car and went to help the little owl. "(I) just walked over to him, talking like I do to a dog or cat, just reassuring him he was going to be okay and just talking to keep him calm," the husband, Jordan Haley, explained. "He let me pick him up, and he tucked his head back -- almost like he was saying 'thank you.'"

Haley said that the family contacted local wardens to come pick up the owl, but they refused because the owl wasn't severely injured. And though not visibly very injured, the owl wasn't flying away either. He was "awake and very friendly." They had to wait a little longer for Avian Haven to arrive to take care of the owl, and as they were waiting, they wrapped the bird in a blanket, and Haley held the owl on his lap, keeping it warm and safe. Now, the owl is in the safe hands of professionals. 

"It was an amazing experience my family will not forget!" Haley said. "We needed this to reassure us that the world will be okay!"

We're thankful to the Haley family for taking the time and putting an injured animal's needs before their own. People who help animals are truly something to be grateful for, and the Halwy's story is one that proves that it doesn't take much to save an animal's life. All it takes is a little love and a little time. 

Story via NEWS CENTER Maine.

When asking ourselves: "what can we bring you guys today to make your day more positive?", the answer was quite obvious. Owl we need is owls of course. 

An owl is the smartest, most handsome, most adorable, yet also the most ridiculously funny animal out there. And it's one of our favorites. Big or small, owl are the most talonted at making us smile. They're positive, curious, and continuously keep getting into trouble. We love them, we respect them, and they make us hootin' happy, so we hope this little winter-themed white owl collection will do the same to you.

A story truly fitting the Christmas cheer. A tiny little owl was found inside of a Christmas tree. Yup. Inside of the iconic Rockefeller Christmas tree, workers discovered the tiny owl "clinging for its life to the 75-foot-tall Norway spruce". After surviving a 200 mile journey from Oneonta to Manhattan, the owl was found as the crews that were about to erect the tree were unwrapping it. 

The New York Post reports that strangely, though the bird is tiny and looks like a baby owlet, since owls are born in the spring, it was immediately understood that this owl is not actually a baby. She is a northern saw-whet, a bird that only grows to about 5 inches tall and 2 to 3 ounces in weight. "I thought it was such a heartwarming Christmas story, that there was this secret in the Christmas tree," said Ellen Kalish, the director and founder of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in New York. 

Workers at the Rockefeller Center, after the New York Post reached out for a comment, said: "We inspect each branch of the tree individually before it's wrapped, but birds sometimes can find their way into it on the journey." For three whole days, the owl didn't have any food or water, but once in the hands of Kalish, she got all the mice she wanted. 

Today, in an update to the story, we found out that the little birdy has been set free at last to its natural habitat to continue her migratory journey. And though her journey was harrowing and incredibly long, she's gotten herself a little Christmas miracle in not only being found and rescued but also in making a full recovery and getting to continue her life in the wild as she was meant to. 

Check out pictures of the owl and her release below. And for another story of an incredibly feisty owl with singed wings getting rescued from a fire, click right here. 

Once a week, we will be featuring an extraordinary animal account on Instagram! Their story, the adorable pictures, and pawesome videos! This week's spotlight goes to Zeus, the blind owl! 

You've probably seen Zeus before, he went viral for his incredible peepers! Eyes that look as if they contain the whole universe and all the answers to the unknown. When we hear or think of a 'Wise Owl,' it's Zeus who we think of. Zeus may be blind but he sure has the most enchanting eyes.

Zeus is a Western Screech Owl with a great wingspan. On his Instagram, it is mentioned that he has about 10% of his vision, and is able to see shapes and memorize his immediate surroundings. He currently is being cared for at the Wildlife Learning Center in Los Angeles, California. The wildlife center's mission is to "provide public education that inspires people to care for our wildlife, to care for our environment, to develop a deep interest in the life sciences, and to give loving care and sanctuary to animals in need." 

Find out how you can help them accomplish their mission and how you can help Zeus. 

Read up on last week's star on Instagram, Rex, The T-Rex Cat!

"This is our first victim of the Silverado Canyon Fires," says the Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital in a post on Facebook. Fortunately, this is one of the lucky animals who got rescued from the fires - an adorable little feisty owl who got his wings singed by the fire. 

He was found by the firefighters of the Orange County Fire Authority. In the beginning, the owl seemed to be entirely unable to move, exhausted, as the firefighters wrap it up in a yellow blanket. In a video released by the Orange County Fire Department twitter account, you can hear one of the firefighters say: "I'll get you some help, buddy." And we are just so, so glad this owl found its way into such good hands. 

The Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital reports on Facebook that the owl's injuries seem to mostly be burnt feathers. At first, they were unsure about the damage from the smoke inhalation, but a few days later, they posted that "[t]he little owl is still feisty as ever!" So, whatever the damage, the little guy is doing much, much better. 

The owl will stay in the hospital "until he molts new feathers," and then, he will be released back into the wild. We wish this cutie a quick recovery, and we are thankful to everyone involved in its rescue and hope that many, many more animals like this one will be rescued from the fires as well. 

Take a look at pictures of the owl below along with the video of its rescue. Another little guy who was rescued from California fires is a little adorable puppy, and you can read about them right here. 

Comin' at you hot with some funny animal memes! 

The start of the week, so everyone needs a little pick me up. Some giraffes, some fishes, and a whole bunch of dank doggo memes to hopefully make your week a little easier to get through. So, get 'em now, and if you let one breathy laugh out through your nose, then we have been successful! And if laughing is not what you're going for, here are some adorable and wholesome otter memes to get you through the day.

These owl memes have got us feeling owl kinds of good! Get it? Because "owl" sounds like "all"? 

We'll stop now. 

Did you know there are up to 220 species of owls in the world? We swear we feel like we've only seen 15 or so. And that it's a myth that owls can turn their heads a full 360 degrees? Close but not all the way because that is absolutely terrifying. 

Oh, and you know those big owl eyes that stare at you with the force of a thousand suns? Yeah, apparently an owl's eyes account of 1-5% of the owl's body weight. Which is insane but also doesn't really surprise us. 

Enjoy some owl goodness on us! 

One viral photo tweeted by journalist, Mark Rees, started an internet stardom. 

People have suddenly discovered that baby owls nap with their faces down and look unbelievably cute while doing so.

Turns out, the reason behind this weird sleeping position is that their heads are too big.   

The responses have been pretty funny, as well as generally wholesome, starting off an entire owl appreciation thread. 

Story via: Happymag.tv