One of the two great horned owls kept at the Ochsner Park Zoo was found Thursday and treated for wing fractures before coming back to the zoo Friday. The second owl remains missing but staff members are hopeful she is nearby the facility and can be lured back with the promise of food.
One of the great horned owls missing from the Ochsner Park Zoo made his way home Friday after being found injured roughly four miles from Baraboo.
Jerry the owl was found Thursday in a field near County Highway A, said Mike Hardy, director of the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.
“He’s going to be off exhibit for about a month because he did have some injuries, so he’ll be in an isolated area at the zoo,” Hardy said.
The owl had two wing fractures and a minor eye injury when the zookeepers found him after police received a call about Jerry potentially being spotted. He was taken to his UW veterinarian, where he was examined and properly identified. The owl then stayed overnight to be monitored before being brought back midday Friday, Hardy said. Despite being injured, he is eating well and generally healthy, per the veterinarian.
People are also reading…
The other great horned owl, Linda, has not yet been recovered.
Both owls left their zoo enclosure some time between Monday night and 6 a.m. Tuesday, when zoo staff arrived to find locks cut through a damaged door. Interim Baraboo Police Chief Rob Sinden said investigators believe, based on examination of the vandalism, that it was a group of people.
Overall, 15 locks were cut through and doors to animal enclosures as well as the exterior doors to the zoo were left open. While most of the animals remained in their habitat area, the pair of river otters and the two great horned owls left the facility. The otters were found together Tuesday afternoon, spotted playing along Baraboo River by kayakers.
Sinden said that the people who broke in had tried to open the enclosure where two rescued bears reside, but were unsuccessful. None of the animals considered dangerous to the public were let out, though Hardy said because of their upbringing around humans, even if the young bears did escape they would likely just run away if encountering a stranger. A majority of the animals at the zoo are rehabilitated or rescued, which means they are unable to fend for themselves in the wild.
The veterinarian was unable to pinpoint how Jerry was injured, but Hardy said he likely hit a sign or swiped a moving vehicle. Unlike most of the birds kept at the zoo, both owls have the ability to fly and good eyesight. They were brought to the facility by a local wildlife rehabilitation facility.
Despite having mobility, because they were imprinted on humans while so young, they do not know how to hunt for themselves or defend themselves in the wild.
This is why Hardy said zoo staff are hopeful Linda is still nearby the zoo and may be lured back by the promise of food.
“They believe they’ve seen her around the zoo in the past, so we don’t think she’s gone too far yet,” Hardy said. “But more than likely, she probably is getting more weak because of not knowing how to hunt, so we’re continuing to look.”
In the three days the animals have been missing, calls have come from within the community, the county and even as far away as Watertown.
“We’re getting quite a few different calls and it’s actually really nice that so many people care that much that they’re calling in injured animals or trying to help out with different injured animals,” Hardy said. “That’s very nice to hear. The intent is all really good out there and we’re happy to hear that.”
GALLERY: Ochsner Park Zoo animals
Sinbad the llama eats hay Tuesday afternoon at Ochsner Park Zoo in Baraboo. The llama, donkey and wolf shelter burned down in a fire of undetermined cause Dec. 14.
