Animal control officer takes swift action after driver flags her down: ‘Amazing things can happen’
Swift action from a Virginia animal control officer helped save the life of an owl facing near-certain disaster.
WAVY-TV news reports that Isle of Wight County animal control officer Jessica Brock was driving home when she was flagged down by a neighbor. The neighbor had accidentally hit an owl, which was stuck in the truck’s grill.
Brock was able to safely dislodge the owl, which was then “transported to a local wildlife rescue,” Nature’s Nanny Wildlife Rehabilitation, to be treated for injuries.
“Big thanks to the neighbor who made sure to alert Officer Brock, proving that when we all work together, amazing things can happen,” the Isle of Wight Animal Services department wrote on Facebook. “Wishing the owl a speedy recovery and a safe return to the wild soon!”
Not only are owls one of the most impressive and beautiful species to witness in person, but they are also vital to our ecosystem. They prey on small animals such as mice, helping to keep those populations in check, and their health is often a good indicator of the overall health of the surrounding environment, according to One Green Planet.
That’s why many communities go to great lengths to make sure owl populations are preserved. One reforestation project in Arizona is specially designed to rebuild habitats for the Mexican spotted owl.
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Unfortunately, like many other birds, owls are susceptible to being struck by cars. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service says that vehicle collisions are believed to be one of the top five causes of death for birds in the United States, killing as many as 340 million birds annually.
Owls can be particularly prone to such collisions, as they typically forage low to the ground, at the same height as many vehicles.
“Throwing apple cores, banana peels, and other food items draw prey animals to the side of the road, which in turn brings the predators,” the OWL Rehabilitation Society warns. “This increases their chances of getting hit by cars.”
If you have inedible food scraps in your car, it is much better to hang on to them until you get home, where you can compost them. Composting could save you money on fertilizer for your garden and reduce the production of methane, a planet-warming gas that is at least 28 times more powerful at warming the planet pound-for-pound than carbon dioxide.
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