Rescued Baby Owl Returned To The Wild

ISLIP, NY - A little owl who was rescued in May finally got its happy ending.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, ECO Emma Carpenter responded on May 31 after receiving a call a concerned resident who had picked up a baby owl that couldn’t fly from the side of the road in Babylon.

Carpenter then transported the owl to a wildlife rehabilitator in Islip, who cared for it until it could fly.

The owl required extra care, but was finally released on Sept. 27.

The rehabilitator opted to do a “soft release,” opening the door of the flight cage and allowing the owl to leave on its own.

Doing so allows the owl to return to the flight cage, and the owl’s diet will be supplemented until it gains more experience hunting and can survive on its own.

Pictured: Left - Eastern screech owl the day it was rescued. Right - The owl a few months later, on the day of its release

Photo courtesy of the DEC