VIDEO: Orphaned great horned owlet reunited with family by Oregon wildlife experts

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — A group of local wildlife conservationists successfully rescued a great horned owlet that fell from its nest in Christmas Valley, Ore. last week.

The baby owl was found stranded on the cold ground on the evening of March 19, and after a night of care, was driven approximately 90 miles to the Think Wild — Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center in Bend for treatment.

“During the exam, Think Wild staff determined that the nestling great horned owl was hypothermic and had slight abdominal bruising, but had not sustained any major injuries,” Think Wild said in a press release. “After stabilizing the owlet’s temperature in an incubator and treating the bruising, staff determined that the owl would have the greatest success back with their parents in the wild.”

To avoid domesticating the animal during its recovery, Think Wild employees dressed in camouflage and fed the baby bird with an owl-shaped hand puppet. The local nonprofit provided video of the unique feeding, which can be viewed in the video player above.

“Think Wild takes precautions to avoid habitation,” Think Wild said. “Staff feed baby wildlife wearing camouflage and utilize species-specific hand puppets to decrease the chances of stress and habituation. This nestling great horned owl was fed using an owl hand puppet.”

After a few days of care, Think Wildlife determined that the owlet was healthy enough to return to the wild. On March 22, Sunriver Nature Center employee Jesse Short successfully placed the owlet back in its nest, where it was greeted by its sibling and parents.

“They were reunited with a sibling, both parents and a large pile of rodents to feast upon,” Think Wildlife said.

People are asked to keep an eye out for young animals in need of help during the spring season. Think Wild warns that people should always call the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center for help when dealing with injured or orphaned wildlife.

“Think Wild aims to reunite young wildlife with their wild parents whenever possible,” the organization said. “While the wildlife hospital is equipped and experienced to hand-rear orphaned baby animals, it is best to attempt to reunite wildlife with their wild parents so the young develop skills that will allow them to be successful in the wild.”

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