A great horned owl that was injured in Washington Township in October was recently released back into the wild after treatment at Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital in Medford.
A great horned owl that was injured after her toe and ankle got stuck in a suet bird feeder in Washington Township in October has been released back into the wild after treatment at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Hospital at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford Township.
The wildlife refuge showed footage of her release on its Facebook page on Dec. 20.
“We suspect that she was hunting something that was eating at the feeder and got her toe stuck,” noted the post. “The suet feeder was hanging from a wire, and as she struggled to escape, the wire got wound around her ankle. Both her toe and her ankle had lacerations from the entanglement. It is unknown how long she was trapped, but luckily, she was otherwise in good body condition when she arrived.
Wildlife refuge staff set to work providing her with supportive care through fluids, pain medication and antibiotics.
“While her toe laceration was able to be treated topically, her leg laceration required suturing, because it was a deeper cut,” the post said. “After two weeks, her wounds had healed and she moved to outdoor reconditioning enclosures to regain her strength. We were so happy to release her back home recently.”
Platoon D on Engine 1031 of the township fire department was called to assist animal control when the owl’s foot got stuck in the feeder and reposted Woodford Cedar Wildlife Refuge’s release.
“You may remember seeing pictures of D platoon helping rescue this owl ‘whooooooo’ got its foot stuck in a bird feeder,” the department playfully reported. “Well, she’s all healed up now and back in the wild. Stay safe Hooty, stay safe!”
Great horned owl nesting season begins in late January or early February, according to the refuge. They don’t build their own nests, but instead use the nests of other large birds such as crows or red-tailed hawks. After laying two to four eggs, the babies will hatch about 30 to 37 days later and require a lot of care from both parents until they are ready to fledge in the summer.
Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge is an environmental nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of New Jersey’s wildlife and habitats through education, conservation and rehabilitation, according to its website. Its vision is that the treatment and rehabilitation services the refuge provides to injured and/or orphaned wildlife in New Jersey educates, inspires and instills a sense of stewardship in youth and residents throughout the region, leading to increased protection of natural resources.
For additional questions regarding native New Jersey wildlife, call (856) 983-3329, ext. 107.
