In one extraordinary day, Annabell Whelan “stepped up to rescue not just one, but two owls in need of help” on the same day. Annabell, a Minnesota resident, knows it’s rare to see an owl during the day, but just before Christmas, she encountered two that needed help.
The Minnesota resident’s first encounter was with an injured Great Grey Owl on the side of the highway at 11am in the morning. The owl was sitting near a driveway and not moving. Annabell called Wildwoods Rehabilitation Centre and they advised her that if she could avoid the talons she should try and rescue the owl.
Using a blanket, she carefully covered the owl and brought it to Wildwoods, who then transferred it to The Raptor Center.
Later that day, while visiting Bentleyville’s Christmas light tour, Annabell spotted a snowy owl caught in the grille of a car as she was leaving the venue. “I’m not entirely sure how this happens…but it did,” she wrote on Facebook. “Saw this one stuck in the grille of someone’s car at Bentlyville as we were leaving.”
The car’s owner didn’t know what to do so Annabell stepped in, grabbed some thick gloves and freed the snowy owl. Since the rescue centre was closed for the evening, Annabell decided to bring the female owl home for a “sleepover.” She kept the owl safe in a dog kennel covered in sheets until the morning.
Thankfully, the owl was alert in the morning and Annabell dropped her off at the rehab centre.
Annabell’s day job is at the Lake Superior Zoo so loving animals is in her nature. There just seemed to be some kind of serendipity that put her in the right place at the right time to save these two wild birds.
Reflecting on the day, she joked, “I’ve been made aware that saving 2 owls in 1 day might be a world record or something?! But WHOOOs counting?”
Lake Superior Zoo applauded Annabell’s rescue day and wrote, “Thanks to her quick actions, the birds are safe and on their way to recovery. Please join us in celebrating Annabell for doing whatever it takes to protect wildlife!”
They also expressed gratitude to their partners, Wildwoods and The Raptor Center, for their vital roles in protecting and saving animals in the region.
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