Hawk, owl released after successful rehab in southern Utah

Hawk, owl released after successful rehab in southern Utah

(Martin Tyner)


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CEDAR CITY — A broad-winged hawk and a great horned owl were released this week after being successfully rehabilitated at the Southwest Wildlife Foundation in southern Utah.

The broad-winged hawk sustained a few minor injuries when rescuers found him on the Southern Utah University campus, according to Martin Tyner of SWF. The male hawk was rehabbed for a few days before being released. Representatives at SWF aren’t sure how the hawk came to be in downtown Cedar City since they aren’t common in the area.

The great horned owl that returned to the wild this week was a beautiful female that had been hit by a car in Fillmore, Utah. Her injuries were only minor, but she spent two weeks at the Southwest Wildlife Foundation receiving attention and feeding from the foundation rescuers in order to return to full health.

According to Tyner, the great horned owl was taken approximately 15 miles north of Cedar City so that it could be freed in an appropriate habitat. Since Tyner was trying to get photographs of the release, he held the owl in one hand and his camera in the other and snapped away as the bird quickly took flight. The owl disappeared over the horizon without looking back, despite Tyner’s admission that a part of him always hopes that the birds he’s spent so much time caring for will show some sign of recognition or appreciation.

It was only when Tyner was downloading the photos from his camera that he found that the owl had left something behind.

Though clear photos are difficult to get during a bird release, Tyner discovered a special image of the owl when he began to download the pictures to his computer. As the great bird flew away, she dropped a small, downy feather that was captured on film, leaving behind just a small piece of herself. According to Tyner, it felt like a thank you from the animal.

Video of the release can be found on the Southwest Wildlife Foundation of Utah website.

The Southwest Wildlife Foundation is a nonprofit public organization that provides wildlife rescue and rehabilitation to animals while promoting wildlife education in the southwestern Utah area. SWF provides aid to approximately 100 sick, injured and orphaned native animals annually.

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Angela Treasure

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