He's smiling!
Barney the Barn Owl got his first taste of freedom in months on Saturday, 8 May, and all indications are that he’ll soon be returning to the wild.
The mature Barn Owl arrived at Cayman Animal Hospital in January, after he was found suffering from injuries received either from colliding with a building or a car, said Alison Corbett, programme manager of Cayman Wildlife Rescue, which has been involved in Barney’s care since his arrival.
Since January, Barney has been kept in a flight cage, under the auspices of Cayman Wildlife Rescue, and he has received treatment form Dr Lana Watler of Cayman Animal Hospital and Dr Heather Barron of St Matthews Veterinary University.
Part of this treatment involved feeding him, and to that end, mice were flown in from the United States -- very expensive mice -- costing an average of $80-$90 a month, which Dr Watler and Dr Barron have generously covered.
On Saturday Barney was allowed to fly freely (in a very large contained area) since his initial treatment.
Wildlife rescue team leaders Mikaella Lacerda and Rogerio Pitta, who have been overseeing Barney’s care, attended his first flight, leading up to his eventual return to the wild.
“We intend to fly him twice a week, for the first week, then on to every other day, and then prior to his release, every day,” said Dr Barron. The Cayman Wildlife Rescue has five other birds in its care and intends to release them when they are fully able to return to the wild.
The Barn Owl is one of the most common of all owls and is very versatile in the use of nest sites and in selection of prey, strong powers of flight, and an ability to use human-modified habitats, according to the Birds of North America web site.
Cayman Wildlife Rescue is a program of the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. This project is staffed entirely by volunteers and is financed 100 percent by donations from the public.
