Rehabilitated owl released into the wild

Article Date: 2009-10-31   Source: http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com   Comments: 0

By Amy Van Meter

A great horned owl known as Bean flew off into the dark this week, a free bird at last.

Six months ago, Bean was brought to the Raptor Education Group, an Antigo-based nonprofit organization that rehabilitates injured birds and provides wildlife education to the public.

When Dave Bean found the then 6-week-old owlet in his backyard in Vesper one morning, he and his wife left it alone, hoping its parents would arrive.

Later, a storm started moving in, so the Beans sought help. Wildlife rehabilitator Nicki Christiansen, a Wisconsin Rapids resident, and others searched the area but weren't able to find the owl's parents.

Christiansen contacted the Raptor Education Group, and under the direction of its executive director, Marge Gibson, took the owlet in for the next two days, feeding her and keeping her warm until transportation was arranged for the bird to go to Gibson.

"I try to help the group out in Wood and Adams counties," Christiansen said. "Sometimes, the birds need to stay in a safe environment before being transported, and that's where I come in."

The owlet was suffering from internal bleeding, likely from falling out of a nest, and was placed with foster parents -- two partially blind great horned owls that cannot be released because of their condition.

With the exception of receiving food and getting physical exams from the rehabilitation team, the owl, named after the family that found it, had little contact with Gibson or the other organization members so she would remain wild.

Months later, the bird was ready to go out on her own and was released into the night Wednesday at a farm in Mosinee.

"After investigating sites, we felt that this one was the appropriate fit for her. It is a territory that no other great horned owls are present," Gibson said.

Gibson said she is confident the great horned owl will be fine living in the wild.

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