Town of Tonawanda Courier/ Friday, December 26, 2014
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– Ser v ing The Tonawandas Daily –
DECEMBER 26, 2014
CIRCULATION 9,778
Rescued snowy owl treated, released
By Jennifer Lysiak THE SUN EDITOR
Breathtaking is the best word to describe last Saturday morning’s events as Robert Humbert, vice president of the Association for Wild Animal Rehabilitation and Education Inc., (AWARE), successfully released a snowy owl back into the wild. This majestic creature has sharp yellow eyes and white feathers with varying amounts of black/brown markings on its body and wings. The owl was given a second chance by AWARE as it soared effortlessly into the sky, now uninjured. AWARE, a non-profit, was founded more than 25 years ago and is a group of dedicated people who rescue and rehabilitate wild animals in New York State. This all volunteer group cares for orphaned, injured, and distressed wildlife such as birds, including owls, hawks, and falcons, mammals, and on occasion reptiles and amphibians. Animals that are considered Rabies Vector Species (RVS) such as raccoons, skunks, and bats are the only animals AWARE does not care for, because they require a special license and caging and there is already a high volume of animals they already care for. Caring for the snowy owl since Dec. 6, Humbert, who is licensed to handle these types of animals, said the owl was found in a field on Ledge Road in Pembroke by a Lockport resident, who then contacted him to care for the owl. While he is not positive on what hap-
Robert Humbert, a volunteer of AWARE, holds the snowy owl just before the owl will be released back into the wild. pened to the owl he believes the owl may have been hit by a car, causing it to go down in the field. Due to the field being heavily manured, the owl had manure underneath it’s wing. “It couldn’t fly,” remarked Humbert. “It was probably tired and a little sore. It was wet and just enough manure was on him where he couldn’t sustain flight.” Humbert added the owl probably would have died if it wasn’t for the resident who found the owl. Because the owl was previously tagged in January of 2014, Humbert was able to learn where the owl came from, how old he was, and gender. The male owl came from Pavillon, N.Y. and is 2 years old. To get the owl ready to go back home, Humbert had the
difficult task of bathing him with a little Dawn dish soap to clean the manure off, which isn’t normally something that should be done, but there wasn’t much of a choice in this situation, he explained. The manure could have caused feather damage. Also Humbert said, it took him a while to get the owl eating. “But now he’s eating and healthy and he’s ready to go,” said Humbert, before the release. Being any other animal, Humbert said he might have thought about holding onto to him until the winter is over, but it’s a snowy owl, which comes from the Tundra. “The faster I get him back to the wild, the better off he’s going to be,” he added. “It’s not uncommon to see snowy owls around this area. They are not
endangered, but they are protected. They are a creature of habit just like anything else.” For playing apart in the snowy owl’s survival, Humbert received a certificate stating the owl was banded in Humbert’s and AWARE’s name. So, if at anytime the owl is caught or recorded an individual will know they helped save this owl’s life. “That’s why I do it,” said Humbert, referring to saving lives. “It gives you a really satisfying feeling. It’s amazing.” However, with rehabbing any creature there is always a chance it won’t survive and Humbert has experienced several losses. There have also been times where he had no
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option but to euthanize an animal. “I had a goose one time where the top of his head was actually skinned. A car hit him and the only thing you can do for something like that is put it out of its misery,” said Humbert. “He gets very sad when something dies or he has to euthanize,” added Bonnie, Humbert’s wife. “I take it personal, but sometimes it’s okay because at least you’re giving it comfort and warmth for it’s last hours,” he said.
See “Snowy Owl” continued on page 4
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