SEQUIM — Eight young barn owls have a new lease on life thanks to the Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center.
The tiny orphan owlets were brought to the Sequim wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center from three different nests in April and May.
Two surrogate mother owls that live at the nonprofit center helped Executive Director Jaye Moore coach the owls into flying shape.
Moore said the young owls will be gradually released in the coming weeks.
“These little owls are all flying beautifully, and we’re busy building up their flight strength in a long flight enclosure,” Moore said.
“We’ve already soft-released one of the older owls from the enclosure who was more than ready to get started with its life in the wild.
“So eight to go.”
Moore has raised dozens of orphaned barn owls at the center, which now partners with Greywolf Veterinary Hospital.
The owl rehabilitation is just the latest success story at the Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center.
This year alone, the center has released a duckling that was shot with a 5-inch metal blow dart, rehabilitated a juvenile bald eagle that was shot by a .22-caliber rifle and released another bald eagle that broke its shoulder while learning to fly.
Moore was one of seven recipients of this year’s Clallam County Community Service Awards.
Matthew Randazzo, public relations director for the Northwest Raptor & Wildlife Center, said there will be no public release of the eight young barn owls.
Instead, there will be a “soft release,” in which the owls are allowed to come and go until they are fully acclimated to the wild.
“These owls will be wonderful community members who will help keep local rodent populations under control,” Randazzo said.
For a video of the baby owls when they first arrived at the center, visit http://tinyurl.com/6cxureg.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com
