A wildlife center played a crucial role in the remarkable recovery of a Great Horned Owl found in distressing conditions. Last month, the Raven Ridge Animal Center in Pennsylvania announced the rescue of the owl, which had been trapped in a manure pit.
According to a Facebook post, the owl had been stuck in the pit for at least two days and was in dire shape. It took multiple showers to remove the layers of manure covering him, and he was weak and dehydrated. Wildlife rehabilitator Tracie Young shared with The Dodo, “I knew it was going to be a long night,” noting that the owl was “subdued” from the trauma: “He was worn out from his struggles.”
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Further examination revealed that the owl's right eye was filled with blood, indicating serious injury. The rescuers also discovered that the bird had been unlawfully shot with a BB gun when they found a steel BB lodged in his eye.
In a statement to People, Young explained, “We had to wait for the blood in the eye to be absorbed by the body to assess any permanent damage.” Over the next few days, the body began to absorb the blood in the eye.
The owl, affectionately nicknamed “Stinky” due to his ordeal, required several washes, tube feeding, and fluid administration. Despite the challenges, the team remained hopeful about his recovery.
As they monitored the owl's eye injury, they experienced a pleasant surprise: the bird showed no signs of irreversible damage or loss of vision. “I was taken aback by the outcome,” Young told The Dodo. “I didn’t think it would survive.”
After his extraordinary recovery, rescuers began calling him “Lucky” instead of “Stinky.” Within weeks, Lucky’s eye returned to normal, and he looked like a completely different owl. The wildlife center plans to release him back into the wild this autumn.
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