Release Stories
We are proud to be able to showcase here the many happy endings for wildlife animals, and the successful release back into natural habitats. Read this story and more in our current newsletter, available here.
"Full Circle"
Diane Moore, August 2010
One day last February I was on my way home from school (I teach grade one at H.H. Langford P.S. in Napanee), when suddenly a large bird flew in front of an oncoming van and was hit. It was an owl. I thought he was dead, but to be sure I gave him a little nudge and when I did a wing flapped for just a second. He was still alive. After I brought him to the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre, Sue (the Director) told me he had a head injury and was also underweight. She gave him some pain medication and re-hydrated him. It wasn't certain whether he would make it through the night. I called the next morning anxiously to check - he was still alive but would need some time to recover.
Sue had noticed that his eyes did not seem quite right and thought he might have some vision problems, which would need special care. I volunteered to transport the owl to the “Owl Foundation” for assessment and further treatment. He was at the Foundation for quite a while while being treated by a vet for his vision. He does have some permanent vision loss, but can see well enough to be releasable. The Foundation ensured that he could maneuver around trees and hunt independently.
He passed all tests in August and I got the call to fetch him. After arriving at the release site, the box holding him was opened, but he didn’t want to go. He was so beautiful and looked so much better than that day on the side of the road where he had been struck. When he did finally take off, it was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. He landed in a nearby tree and looked at me. He flew up to a higher tree, I guess to see where he was, back home. He had come full circle. He stayed there for a long time but eventually it was time for us to go. I said “good-bye” and wished him the best.
Every day I think about him, hoping he finds a mate, hoping he will be ok, hoping he will live a long life, but at least that he was given a chance. This was a great learning opportunity for my grade one class as we followed the his journey together. We learned some facts about owls, drew pictures and wrote some stories. They will be glad to hear he is back home and doing well.
Thanks to Sue for taking such good care of him and to the Owl Foundation for helping him to re-learn the skills he will need to survive. Thank you to everyone at the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre, and to those who help wildlife every day. |
