All creatures great and small

Royalwood

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/01/2025 (536 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Southeast Winnipeg is sadly hearing one less “Who-hoo-whoo-who.” In late November, a male great horned owl in distress was discovered by River Park South resident Liz Stepien. Although veterinarians and professionals at Pembina Animal Hospital and Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre did all they could to save him, the owl had to be euthanized.

Stepien remembers the day well. It was cold when the retiree made her way to the Dakota Forest to walk her dog Zoey.

“We took a random path through the woods. Suddenly, I heard crows and sure enough I saw a massive shape on the ground,” she said. “It was an owl on its back. I told Zoey to leave it alone and she listened.”

Stepien approached the owl and tried to turn it over and help it stand, but it kept falling over. She set the bird on a log, but it could not keep its balance.

“I guess you’re coming home with me,” Stepien said. “I carried the owl like a chicken, it was so light and calm. Its talons were huge and super-sharp, but I felt like it trusted me.”

Stepien placed the owl on her deck, but it did not want to let go of her coat, clinging as if to thank her. The owl still could not stand and vomited yellow bile. After getting Zoey settled in the house, she brought the raptor into a spare room and made some phone calls.

Stepien was eventually directed to the Pembina Animal Hospital.

“I wrapped the owl in a blanket and placed it in a soft-sided dog carrier. When I arrived, the owl had flipped over. The vet suspected poisoning and called PWRC.”

“Two days later, I learned it was a male great horned owl. PWRC told me he had been having seizures two minutes apart. They tried medications but had to euthanize him,” she said.

PWRC cannot confirm the cause of the owl’s passing, but it does advocate against the use of rodenticides to control pests. If you find a wild animal in need of help, visit www.pwildlife.ca or call 204-510-1855.

The encounter was a meaningful moment for Stepien:

“As I walked out of the forest carrying the owl in my arms, it reconfirmed my purpose of taking care of animals anyway that I can. I think I was meant to find him and bring him warmth and peace in his final days. It’s a heartwarming feeling.”