Staff at the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (ARC) on Vancouver Island are hoping the public can help a Great horned owl who needs some help from her animal-loving friends. Rescued by a Good Samaritan, the owl was underweight and had problems with one of her eyes.
“She was very skinny – the problems with her eye were most likely caused by head trauma,” says Meg Hatch, assistant manager at Wild ARC. “She was very quiet and not very responsive at first and her eye continued to deteriorate, so it was decided the best option would be to remove the eye completely.”
A veterinarian volunteered her services to eviscerate the eye and not long after, the owl started to perk up in the care of Wild ARC’s specialized team of wild caregivers.
“She’s doing great! She’s been moved to our outdoor flight pen where she has more room to fly and has been hunting prey successfully,” Hatch says, noting the owl will be released back into the wild once she is fully recovered.
The estimated medical costs associated with the owl’s treatment and recovery is expected to be more than $4,000.
If you can help this owl or other wild patients like her in need at Wild ARC, you can donate online or in person at Wild ARC, at 1020 Malloch Rd., Victoria.