Vets operate on injured spotted owl, hope it can recover and be released

SHORELINE, Wash. – Veterinarians who operated on a badly injured spotted owl hope it can recover sufficiently to return to the wild.

KING-TV reports (http://is.gd/fuaPU0 ) the surgery took place Tuesday in Shoreline, Washington. Animal surgeon Alex Aguila says he’s hopeful after seeing that the break in the owl’s wing was clean and they had pins small enough to insert into the tiny wing bones.

Assisting was veterinarian Lesanna Lahner of the Seattle Aquarium.

The vets say they are hopeful the bird’s damaged eye may heal on its own.

A forest ranger found the bird by the side of a Forest Service road late last week.

If the wing heals well, the bird may be released back into the wild population, which is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.

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Information from: KING-TV, http://www.king5.com/

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