Owl Rescued From Imminent Demise

Chief of maintenance Brian Dendis works to extricate the barred owl wedged in among four trees. NPS photo.

Chief of maintenance and former master falconer Brian Dendis rescued a barred owl trapped in some trees on park property on July 26th. The owl was trapped at the bottom of a cluster of four trees, with its head stuck in the "Y" of two trees, its body at a 90 degree angle (feet up), and its wings wedged between the remaining two trees. Without Brian's expertise the bird would have probably perished. With the help of a park contractor, one tree was pried out so that Brian could reach the owl. He was then able to free the owl's head and gradually maneuver its body to an area where he could free the bird.

Fortunately, the owl had no visible signs of injuries. It's not known how long the owl had been stuck in the trees, but it was evident that it was too weak to be released and had not eaten for some time. The owl was transported to Brian's office to recuperate, where it was fed live feeder mice and named "Hootie" by the park's auto mechanic. The following morning Hootie was successfully returned to and released from the site where it was found.

Source: NPS

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

   _   _