From Blue Ridge Wildlife
Even seemingly harmless manmade items, like this metal garden sculpture, can create serious hazards for our native wildlife. This Great Horned Owl wound up entrapped in this sculpture resulting in fractures to the digits of both feet and minor eyelid trauma as the bird tried to get free.
Once in care we were able to separate the owl from this artwork, get radiographs to assess the severity of the fractures, and sedate to close some of the open wounds on the feet. With strong pain medications, antibiotics, and stabilization of the foot fractures, we are hopeful that this bird will make a full recovery.
Anything can become a danger to wildlife and in some cases, these can be quite unexpected items! You can help wildlife by being observant in your own yard and taking the time NOW to think about what you would do if you found a wild animal in need.
Save our phone number (and the numbers of other local rehabilitators) so that you can call in the event of an emergency. There’s nothing worse than trying to search for numbers while you are actively dealing with an emergency! Always be sure to leave a voicemail. Our state list of permitted rehabilitators can be found in the comments, but you can generally find lists for any state by searching “licensed wildlife rehabilitators in [state]” or using apps like Animal Help Now.
Animal control officers and state game wardens can be an amazing resource in many places, but training and availability may vary by county and state. In most cases, animal control can be reached by calling your county’s non-emergency police line.
Websites like ours and other reputable wildlife centers often have excellent information that may help you assess the situation before you hear back from a rehabilitator. Familiarize yourself with these websites now. Do not rely on information from google or local community social media pages for wildlife advice - there is so much incorrect and dangerous information out there!
Thank you to the original finder who called for help and the animal control officer of Frederick County Virginia Sheriff’s Office for this rescue! We hope to have this owl feeling better soon!
There’s a myriad of things that could happen, as different kinds of animals get stuck in them.
The owl could have been chasing something and got caught in it swooping in. They have good night vision, but they won’t know the difference between a regular flower and one made of steel in the dark. If there’s no ambient light, it’s invisible to them because it doesn’t make any sound, so their “ear radar” can’t detect the object. That’s why they hit houses, or get caught in sports netting and fishing line.
Squirrels get stuck in the shepards hooks trying to get at feeders. They can slip or get wedged in wrong when climbing.
Songbirds might just reposition in an unlucky way, get spooked and move wrong and become snagged. I’m also not the best on songbird vision, but unlike us and the owls, they’re prey animals and have eyes on the sides of their head. This gives them great panoramic vision to detect danger, but it really hurts depth perception, at least in other animals.
Most of the reading I’ve done has been focused on cows after I was first taught about cattle guards at a safari park. That also lead me to learn a bit about Temple Grandin and people branching out from her work understanding the world through the perspective of livestock.