1 of 2 | An animal rescue group in Utah came to the assistance of a great horned owl that fell into a mixer and ended up partially covered in dried concrete. Photo courtesy of the Best Friends Animal Society
An animal rescue group in Utah came to the assistance of a great horned owl that fell into a mixer and ended up partially covered in dried concrete.
The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s Wild Friends rehabilitation center in Kanab stepped in when the owl was found to have fallen into a concrete mixer and wound up with about 25% of its body covered in dried concrete.
“We reached out to other wildlife rehabilitators and they had never heard of an owl falling into concrete before, either,” Bart Richwalski, the Best Friends Animal Society’s Wild Friends supervisor, said in a news release. “After doing some research, our team quickly came up with a plan to help the owl in the least invasive way possible.”
The process involved giving the 2-pound owl baths for 20 minutes a day while under anesthesia to slowly remove the concrete from its body.
“This was a brand-new situation for the Wild Friends team and they really stepped up to the plate to do their best for this owl,” said Judah Battista, Best Friends Animal Society’s chief sanctuary officer. “Their innovative approach and compassionate care is such a beautiful testament to Best Friends’ belief that every animal deserves a second chance.”
The juvenile male owl is now recovering, and was able to reach a 6-foot-high perch without assistance. The sanctuary said the owl will be kept at the facility until the spring or summer, so it can molt its old feathers and regain full flight abilities.
The avian will eventually be released back into the wild near the location where it fell into the mixer.
“He still has a long road ahead of him, but he’s a fighter,” Richwalski said.
