ST. PAUL, Minn. - A rare snowy owl that gained national attention when it was apparently hit by a bus in the nation’s capital is to be released into the wild after a rehab stint in Minnesota.
The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota plans to release the owl today along the northern Minnesota and Wisconsin border.
“Once the snowy owl is released, what it will do is speculation,” Lori Arent, manager of The Raptor Center clinic manager said in a statement. “It may stay in the area for a few days, but its migratory urge will eventually encourage it to move north.”
The injured owl was found in downtown Washington in late January and taken to the National Zoo before being transferred to a Washington, D.C., wildlife rehabilitation center. It was then sent to The Raptor Center, which has expertise in replacing damaged feathers. It has since completed about a rehab program after its feathers were repaired.
Front Section, Pages 3 on 04/19/2014