Contributed by the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley in San Jose:
On April 20 of last year, the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley (WCSV) received a young great horned owl after it had fallen out of his nest cavity.
The owl suffered a dog attack, leaving him with multiple laceration and puncture wounds around his head and eye.
He spent several days at Lindsay Wildlife Museum, where he was stabilized, and then transferred to the WCSV to be paired with another, slightly older juvenile, but non-releasable great horned owl already being cared for by WCSV’s wildlife staff.
It is vital for young animals to be raised with conspecifics (same species) in order to reduce chances of imprinting or habituating the animal in any way.
The fledgling owl seemed comforted to have a buddy to perch with. Over the next several weeks the owl, whose appetite seemed insatiable, soon outgrew the enclosure he was sharing with his companion owl, and was moved to a brand new, 50-foot raptor flight aviary, where he spent the next four months learning to fly and fine-tuning his live-hunting skills—just like he would if he was wild!
The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, in partnership with Oakhurst Country Club, where the owl was originally found, plans to open the release to interested parties who will be present to witness this magnificent bird’s release back to the wild.
Hosted reception will follow the release; champagne and appetizers will be provided.
Call WCSV at (408) 929-9453 to reserve your spot. Tickets range from $25 to $100, with proceeds going to benefit the Center.
