Rescued Owl in UK Protected Area, Uninjured but Unable to Fly – The Reason Revealed

According to reports from foreign media on January 29th, recently, a female barn owl was rescued by staff of the Suffolck Owl Protection Area in the UK. When it was discovered, it was drenched and unable to fly.

Everyone initially thought it was because its wings were wet or it was injured, causing it to be unable to fly. However, during the subsequent rescue and treatment, the protection area staff discovered that the owl was actually 'overweight' and unable to fly.

The rescue team said that this owl weighed 245g, which was about one-third heavier than the average barn owl, and this weight was 'very rare' for wild birds.

▲This 'unable to fly' female barn owl weighs 245g and is severely 'overweight'.

The team's trainer, Rufus Samkin, said that the owl's overweight was easily explained—due to the mild winter temperatures in the UK, there were still many mice in the Suffolck Owl Protection Area, which were a delicious treat for the owls.

During the two weeks of rescue, Samkin said: 'This little cutie has lost 20 to 30 grams in weight and its appetite is not as good as before.'

After all, losing weight is essential for escaping predators and avoiding the danger of being 'overweight' and unable to fly.

▲The rescued little owl.

Currently, after several weeks of strict diet control and observation, the little owl was released back into the wild on Monday local time.

Cjing