DALLAS — An owl’s wing was broken after a squirrel in North Texas attacked it recently, Blackland Prairie Raptor Center in Allen says.
“Luckily, it is pretty much aligned, so that means it should heal hopefully nicely,” Janel Mason, medical director of Blackland Prairie Raptor Center.
Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, a bird rehabilitation center, was alerted to the injured owl by a group called Screech Owls of Flower Mound, whose members often house owls and have cameras in their owl boxes.
“This owl – they just happened to notice a squirrel go into the box at the same time as the owl, and they caught the attack on tape. So they were able to see what happened and know the owl was injured right away,” Mason said. “They watched it a little while, and noticed it wasn’t flying. They were able to catch it and bring it to us within the day.”
Mason says sometimes fights can break out between owls and squirrels over nests.
“We have seen squirrel attacks before, and they can get very brutal,” Mason said.
Mason says the owl has been in their care for about two weeks and will need about another week of care as its wing heals. Once it's healed and back to flying condition, the owl is expected to be released back into the wild.