The Snowy Owl Flies Free

by Toni Grogg

The Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia (ACCA) captured, cared for and released Vienna’s snowy owl. Finally, the injured owl goes back into the wild.

Earlier this year, the snowy owl popped up in Vienna. Normally, this owl would choose a home that is much colder and farther north. The owl was usually spotted in the creek between Ruby Tuesday and Panera Bread. This made a great feasting spot for the owl due to all of the mice from the heavily-populated, restaurant area.

The snowy owl caused excitement and gained attention from citizens and the media. The owl is not used to humans or vehicles due to it natural, arctic habitat. After a while of people gawking and taking pictures of it, the owl was injured by a vehicle. The ACCA soon captured the snowy owl and found out that the bird had a broken bone in its shoulder and was very thin and weak.

After five weeks in the care of the ACCA, the owl fully recovered and was ready to be let back into the wild. This facility stated in a Facebook post that they would usually release birds back in the area where they were captured, but since the owl is not from the Mid-Ohio Valley, they chose to drive north to Pennsylvania. The owl was released Jan. 20 on Presque Isle along Lake Erie. This is a perfect setting for the owl since it is right in its normal winter range.

Also, in their Facebook post, the ACCA made sure to thank those who helped with donations, capturing the owl, took photos of the owls progress and all the volunteers who participated.

Thanks to the ACCA, the snowy owl will be able to live a much longer life in its natural habitat.