Owl’s well that ends well!

DHEC stream team with Wingate University interns at Thompson Creek

At Carolina Wildlands we have a great story with a happy ending!

Back on a hot summer June day, a juvenile Barn Owl was found not doing so well at one of our prairies. He was hanging out under one of the paddocks swaying his head back and forth and trying to make himself look bigger as a defense mechanism.

After observing the juvenile for the next day, it was decided that the best course of action was to take him to a rescue center. It is believed that his mother had died and therefore he was not receiving the care or diet that was needed as a growing owl. While he was at the wildlife center, he received IV fluids and had to be tube fed. He also underwent two rounds of parasite treatment. Although most people would assume this owl was a lost cause, he ended up making a fantastic recovery.

On August 29th he was released back to his home at Carolina Wildlands. He was hesitant at first to come out of his cage, because all the attention was on him. However, after a few minutes and some assistance, he exited the cage and immediately flew to his new home. We are so excited to keep our eye out for Benny the Barn Owl and wish him the best time exploring his home now as a healthy individual.

We want to thank Black Creek Wildlife Center for taking such great care of him and sending us pictures of his progress throughout the last few months.