Owl at Minnesota Zoo eaten by tiger after it flies away from handler

APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — A Eurasian eagle owl from the Minnesota Zoo flew away from a handler during a training session and was eaten by a tiger.

The incident, outlined in an inspection report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, happened in April of this year.

The handler was training the owl for a bird show, but it failed to come back and landed in the outdoor tiger enclosure, where it was eaten.

"Animal welfare is a top priority in all facets of Zoo operations. This was a tragic incident and the Zoo has been working closely with its free-flight bird training partners to review our policies and procedures," said Zach Nugent, Communication and Media Relations Manager at the Minnesota Zoo.

He added that the owl that was eaten was in the beginning stages of its training.

"Our care and training program for all of the free-flight ambassador birds in our care is based on many years of experience training free-flight birds. We recognize that every animal is an individual and as such, we build programs around their individualized flight skill, experience, and general adaptability for being included in a free-flight program," Nugent said.

The incident report instructs the zoo to develop and maintain flight training that ensures animals are handled in a way that prevents physical trauma and harm.

It's the second time in three years that a Eurasian eagle owl died after flying away from the zoo. In 2021, Gladys flew off a tree during a training session and was found days later on the side of the road. She was injured and the zoo's veterinary team was unable to save her.

The report by the agriculture department also instructed the zoo to create a contingency plan for animals in case of shelter-in-place emergencies. It also noted that the camel enclosure was in disrepair and the feed supply garbage bay was contaminated by pests. The camel enclosure was fixed during the inspection.