Baby owl and foster owl at BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ BC Wildlife Park/ FACEBOOK
May 09, 2023 - 7:42 AM
An orphaned great horned owlet in the care of the BC Wildlife Park got a new mom last week, which will greatly improve its chance of success.
Grumpy the foster owl took the baby under her wing and has become very protective of it, according to a Facebook post by the park.
“We’re pleased to see Grumpy has accepted the juvenile and her natural protective instincts automatically kicked in,” reads the Facebook post. “Entering the pen to feed and clean has become a challenge for the care team as Grumpy is not shy to protect, aka attack.Grumpy brings food, puts herself between the juvenile and anyone entering the pen and is now perching with the juvenile.”
The baby lost its family when the tree its nest was in fell down. The park’s rehabilitation team took it in and assessed and stabilized it and once it got stronger the pair were introduced.
“The goal is for the juvenile to eventually fledge and be released back into the wild,” the park said. “Being raised by a foster owl reduces the chance the owl will become imprinted on humans and will increase its chances of survival once returned to the wild.”
READ MORE: iN PHOTOS: Fluffy spring owlets captured on camera in Kamloops, Okanagan
Great horned owls are common across North America and live in many different types of habitats from deserts to wetlands, forests and grasslands, according to All About Birds.
They start nesting in late winter and early spring and the eggs hatch roughly a month later. They parent in pairs and are known to be good, dutiful parents to their young.
Go here to watch a Facebook reel of the owlet and foster owl.
(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)
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