The barred owl found ailing near Cook Hall before winter break returned to campus in January after a monthlong rehab at Nature’s Nursery.
Reference librarian and resident bird person Zach Walton reports that the owl has recovered from a fungal infection, is steady on its feet and is once again able to feed itself. The vet at Nature’s Nursery found no broken bones, diseases or parasites. In addition to the infection, the owl was suffering from extreme weight loss, but after a month of care and hand feeding has been released back into the Tecumseh Natural Area.
Thanks to Ohio State’s Rachel Ryan, Robin Bagley, Nancy Risner and Zach Walton, Johnny Appleseed’s Marie Walton and Dan Hodges, game warden Craig Barr, and the staff at Nature’s Nursery.
Photos: The campus owl was so happy to be home and flew so fast, we do not have a photo of the release. The top photo is of a typical barred owl. The bottom pictures show the owl before the trip to Nature’s Nursery.
