Burrowing Owls Rehabilitated At San Diego Zoo Safari Park

ESCONDIDO, CA – Two family groups of burrowing owls were released back into the wild after receiving treatment for a dangerous parasite at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Researchers with the zoo's Institute for Conservation Research have been studying local owl populations since 2013. In recent weeks, they noticed that some birds showed visible infestation of the sticktight flea, a parasite commonly found in poultry. Researchers believe at least one owl died because of the fleas.

Zoo personnel worked with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife last month to care for the infested owls at the Safari Park's medical center.

"We wanted to make sure these owls would survive this incident and, working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife, we decided to bring them in for treatment," said Colleen Wisinski, conservation program specialist for the zoo's Institute for Conservation Research.

Although a couple of the owls were in critical condition when they arrived at the Safari Park, they all responded well to treatment and were released back into the wild a few weeks later, zoo officials announced Tuesday.

Simultaneously, institute researchers worked with the Safari Park's integrated pest management staff to reduce the amount of parasites where the birds live.

"We found all of the birds had some degree of flea infestation, with two adults suffering from severe anemia," said Lauren Howard, associate director of veterinary services for the Safari Park. "We are not just treating the fleas, but we are looking at what might be underlying causes of this infestation so we can get these birds back into the wild."

Burrowing owls are becoming increasingly rare in San Diego County.

Observing and learning about burrowing owls is critical to the protection of the species in Southern California, said Mendel Stewart, field supervisor for the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Service office.

Image via San Diego Zoo