Owl described as ‘fighter’ set to fly free after falling into cement mixer in Utah | Utah
The owl, which was found partially encased in concrete after entering a cement mixer in southwestern Utah, is expected to fly free again after being meticulously cleaned by animal shelter workers who described the bird as a “warrior.”
The great horned owl was found at Black Desert Resort in the southwestern part of the state and arrived at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, earlier this month with its face, chest and right wing covered in dried concrete. After making sure the bird could breathe, shelter workers spent days breaking up the concrete using forceps and cleaning the bird’s feathers with a toothbrush, dish soap and their fingers.
Two weeks later he was able to fly again and continues to recover in an aviary.
“He’s a juvenile, so he fell into the concrete mixer and we believe he’s a male because he’s on the smaller side,” said Bart Richwalski of the animal shelter.
Great horned owls often have a feathery covering that allows them to fly silently while hunting. But Best Friends sanctuary chief Judah Battista said the concrete wore out the rescued owl’s feathers.
The bird now makes a “buzzing” sound when flying, and the sanctuary will not release it into the wild until it molts and can fly quietly again. That should happen next spring or summer, Battista said.
“When our owl friend recovers, we plan to take him to a place close to where he is, not to a construction site, but to a place with a natural habitat, and release him and leave him alone,” Richwalski said.
