Concrete-covered great horned owl gets meticulous care
A young great horned owl is recovering in Kanab, Utah, after falling into a concrete mixer. Staff give him daily baths as they prepare him for release.
A great-horned owl is on a path to recovery in Utah after being rescued from a concrete mixer.
The owl, assumed to be a juvenile male born earlier this year, was found near a concrete mixer at a resort in St. George, Utah, Best Friends Animal Society said in a news release on Nov. 19. It is not known how the owl ended up in the concrete mixer.
A Best Friends spokesperson told USA TODAY the person who found the owl called the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, who contacted Bart Richwalski, a Wild Friends supervisor at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and it was eventually brought to the animal welfare organization’s headquarters in Kanab, about 90 minutes away, on the morning of Nov. 1.
An unusual situation
About 25 percent of the owl’s two-pound body was covered in dried concrete, Best Friends said, posing a major challenge for its staff. Richwalski said it was the first time they had seen a case like this in the sanctuary’s 40-year history.
“We reached out to other wildlife rehabilitators, and they had never heard of an owl falling into concrete before, either,” Richwalski said in a statement. “After doing some research, our team quickly came up with a plan to help the owl in the least invasive way possible.”
Part of the plan involved daily 20-minute baths while the owl was under anesthesia and after a “series of concrete removals from the face, chest and right wing, the owl has been recovering well and has a positive prognosis,” Best Friends said.
‘He’s a fighter’
While the owl was initially recovering indoors in a medium-sized soft carrier for easy access, it was recently moved to an outdoor enclosure, “where he has been able to ascend to a 6-foot perch,” indicating his recovery is going well.
Best Friends said the owl will continue in its care until the spring or summer, which is when it is expected to undergo molting, the process in which animals shed worn-out fur, feathers, skin, or exoskeleton and replace them with new growth, according to Cornell Wildlife Health Lab.
After that, the owl will be released back into the wild, most likely in a wooded area near where he was found.
“He still has a long road ahead of him, but he’s a fighter,” Richwalski said.
This owl is one of approximately 1,600 dogs, cats, horses, goats, pigs, bunnies, birds, and wildlife that have found refuge at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab. The animal welfare organization, on its website, says it is dedicated to “making America a no-kill nation.”
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.