You may remember this poor barn owl who found himself caught up in a badly placed glue trap last September. His leg and wing were stuck fast to each other, and his feathers were badly damaged by the substance.
After carefully removing the glue over the period of a week, he was then introduced to a secluded aviary so he could begin the recovery process. Unfortunately, the feather damage was significant enough to hinder his flight and cause him to become quite waterlogged. With typical winter weather looming, he would sadly not have survived long in this condition, so it continues to be essential that these feathers recover before he is released.
He’s now been with us for a few months under our care and observation whilst he moults a fresh set of feathers, and his condition is steadily improving. However, as you can see the damage to the primary feathers is still extensive enough to cause issues with flight, so he has been moved to a larger and quieter rehab aviary to encourage flight and exercise. Unfortunately due to the extensive damage, this little one will be with us for a while longer. Once he has his fresh set of feathers he will be a perfect candidate for a soft release back into the wild to ensure he develops the necessary skills to survive.