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Owl found stuck in a concrete mixer is on the mend and flying free
Sanctuary staff grafted donor feathers onto the owl so it could fly silently again before its release, after concrete damaged its wing feathers.
- A Great horned owl returned to the wild in Utah after a 90-minute imping procedure restored its ability to fly silently, following weeks of recovery at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab.
- Workers discovered the owl trapped in a truck-mounted concrete mixer at a Utah construction site in late October, requiring days of careful cleaning with forceps and toothbrushes to remove dried debris from its face, chest, and right wing.
- Bart Richwalski, a supervisor at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, performed the imping procedure after the owl failed to molt, using adhesive to graft 10 primary feathers and one secondary feather from a donor bird onto existing shafts.
- Richwalski used a decibel meter to confirm the owl's flight was quiet enough for safe release; the bird hovered briefly as the aviary roof retracted, then flew out into the wild.
- Karla Bloem, executive director of the Minnesota-based International Owl Center, said imping has been practiced for "eons" and expressed confidence the owl will navigate "the big world again, hunting" and find a mate.
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An owl that was rescued after being located stuck in a concrete mixer in southwestern Utah is finally recovering, flying free and perhaps the experience has made it a little wiser.
Owl found stuck in a concrete mixer is on the mend and flying free - WXXV News 25
By THOMAS PEIPERT An adolescent owl that was found stuck in a concrete mixer in southwestern Utah is finally on the mend, flying free and maybe a bit wiser from the ordeal. The great horned owl somehow made his way into the truck-mounted mixer in late October and was discovered by workers pouring concrete at a resort construction site. Lucky for him, a series of people gave a hoot about his predicament. Workers hosed the bird down before it wa…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources21
Leaning Left8Leaning Right3Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution44% Left
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources lean Left
44% Left
L 44%
C 39%
R 17%
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