Rescue of a Great Horned Owl
Police officer trudges through high snow to save owl with broken wing
by STEFANIE DYGA | The National DeskMon, March 20th 2023, 1:45 PM EDT
North Dakota officer braves high snow to save owl with broken wing (Fargo Police Department)
FARGO, N.D. (TND) — An officer in North Dakota braved waist-high snow to rescue a great horned owl that had broken its wing.
In a Facebook post, the Fargo Police Department said FPD community service officer Aventi responded to the animal call last week. Upon arrival, Aventi found a large great horned owl outside of the home that had suffered a broken wing.
Aventi received clearance from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department so she could jump into action and provide immediate assistance to the animal.
Police said the officer waded through waist-high snow to try to rescue the owl, but the animal jumped into a window well. Aventi then used a net to transport it to safety.
CSO Aventi’s willingness to go the extra mile in this situation demonstrates her commitment to the Fargo Police Department's mission and core value of Guardianship," police said in the Facebook post.
The critter was taken to the Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton – which police said is the closest permitted raptor rehabilitator to Fargo – for veterinary care, where officials located an identification band on its leg. The band showed the owl was born in early 2022 and came from Saskatchewan, Canada, in the area of Swift Current.
According to South Dakota Birds and Birding, great horned owls are the most widespread owls found in North America. They are powerful predators and will often hunt animals larger and heavier than themselves.
Comments
Thank you for sharing.... I tried to rescue a owl with a broken wing once.... It wouldn't have it. They get hit on the side of the road or where they fly to low.
"Independence Now, Independence Forever."
John Adams
Good job!
The GHO's are starting to hoot around here. I listened to a couple of them this morning when I was out with the dog.
They are out enforce here as well.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Great horned owls are the owl version of Chuck Norris!
I have 2 plastic great horned owls on my porch, to run off woodpeckers.
😀😁🙂 Owls are very interesting. I enjoy hearing them in the woods around us.
A little fellow on our fence a few years ago:
Brad Steele
There is a family of Great Horned Owls in the tree right outside my niece's bedroom window. Can't be more than 30 feet away.
She was so excited to show everyone the owl family the other day. Imagine how excited she'll be when the owl babies arrive!
🇺🇲 "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson 🇺🇲
That never works around here. We feed ladder back woodpeckers and flickers. And Coopers hawks think the dove feeder is a buffet.
The plastic owls are somewhat successful in running off the woodpeckers. I don't want to shoot a woodpecker, but they can do a lot of damage to a log cabin.
Neighbors on each side have plastic owls to keep birds out. I have seen starlings sit on the owls heads on both sides of me.
I witnessed a Great Horned Owl carry off a rabbit one time.
It was like watching the old Wild Kingdom show, I will never forget it !