Only two of 17 snowy owls rescued have survived: rehab centre

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/12/2017 (2898 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Of the 17 snowy owls that have been taken to a Manitoba rehab centre since the end of October, there are only two survivors.

One owl was released recently at Oak Hammock Marsh, and another remains at the Wildlife Haven Rehabilitation Centre in Île-des-Chênes, director Dan Diawol said.

“The rest of them have either died or had to be euthanized due to their injuries.”

The owls’ conditions upon admission “are just so poor that their likelihood of survival is just very, very low,” said Diawol.

Some years, the natural boom-and-bust cycle of the population of Arctic lemmings — a key food source for snowy owls — leads large numbers of younger owls to venture south, he said.

“This year, we’re not sure if that’s a contributing factor or not, other than there is a high population of snowys heading this direction,” Diawol said.

Most of the owls taken in by the rehab centre this year have been young birds, he added, “and they’re probably in search of territory because of the population excess up north right now.”

This year, Diawol is seeing birds that have suffered injuries such as fractured wings.

“A lot of them are due to vehicle strikes,” he said.

Unlike most other owls, snowy owls hunt during the day.

“They will be flying along ditches or such looking for field mice or other rodents that might be around, and when they’re in pursuit of these animals they get so focused on them that they’re very oblivious to any other harms that might be coming, such as a vehicle.”

The lone snowy owl remaining at the centre arrived with head trauma, Diawol said. He hopes to release it in the coming weeks.

“It had a squinty eye, so it probably got knocked by a vehicle or something like that, and it’s since recovering.”

Diawol said drivers should “be aware of the wildlife out there.”

“A lot of the animals we do get in are vehicle collisions such as these owls, and just always be cautious of that while driving down the highways.”

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca

@sol_israel