Earlier this month, a man in Columbia, Pennsylvania, was heading down to his basement when he saw a tiny, fluffy animal sitting on the stairs.
“[He] noticed this little puff ball,” Tracie Young, founder of Raven Ridge Wildlife Center, told The Dodo. “[He was] like, ‘What is that?’”
Raven Ridge Wildlife Center
As the man got closer, he realized the ball of fluff was actually a baby owl. He knew the tiny bird needed help, so he promptly transported the great horned owl to Raven Ridge’s wildlife rehabilitation facility. The rescue staff examined the bird and gave the thin, dehydrated baby some lifesaving fluids.
When young owls arrive at a wildlife rehabilitation center, it’s important for them to be placed with an adult member of their species so they don’t imprint on humans. So as soon as the baby had stabilized, Young was eager to get them set up with a foster parent.
Luckily, Raven Ridge had recently rescued an adult female great horned owl who’d gotten her wing entangled in an electrical fence around a chicken coop. As the staff members examined her, they realized she was a mama.
Raven Ridge Wildlife Center
“I noticed there was a brood patch on her belly … I knew by seeing this brood patch that either she had eggs or she had babies somewhere,” Young said.
Young hoped that if she placed the orphaned owlet with the adult bird, the owl’s mothering instincts would kick back in and she would want to take care of the baby.
“Here you have a wild great horned owl that’s a mom, and she’s going to do a better job than we ever could,” Young said.
Sure enough, the mama owl immediately accepted the little orphan as one of her own. The two birds formed an instant bond and were inseparable within minutes.
Raven Ridge Wildlife Center
“Right away, the baby owl went over to her and went right behind her, and she became very protective,” Young said.
Over the next couple of weeks, Raven Ridge took in two more baby great horned owls. Given how quickly the mama had taken to caring for the first owlet, Young figured she might welcome the two new babies just as warmly. She was right — all three owls instantly formed a tight-knit family.
Raven Ridge Wildlife Center
Young placed the adult and her three owlets in an outdoor enclosure so they could start getting used to living in their natural environment. With the help of their mama, the babies are already learning things humans could never have taught them.
“The two older baby owls are starting to perch on these little logs, which is so cute,” Young said. “They’re trying to be like [their mom].”
Raven Ridge Wildlife Center
Raven Ridge plans to release all four birds together. That way, the mama can keep teaching her babies vital life skills, like how to hunt. And if they ever need her help, she’ll be there for them.
If you’d like to support Raven Ridge, you can make a donation here.
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