Rehabilitated great horned owls will be released to the wild on Jan. 12, 2013 at 4:30 p.m. at Oakhurst Country Club in Clayton.
On April 20, 2012 the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley (WCSV) received a young great horned owl after it had fallen out of his nest cavity and suffered a dog attack leaving him with multiple laceration and puncture wounds around his head and eye. He spent several days at Lindsay Wildlife Museum, where he was stabilized, and then transferred to the WCSV to be paired with another, slightly older juvenile, but non-releasable great horned owl already being cared for by WCSV’s wildlife staff.
It is vital for young animals to be raised with conspecifics (same species) in order to reduce chances of imprinting or habituating the animal in any way. The fledgling owl seemed comforted to have a buddy to perch with. Over the next several weeks the owl, whose appetite seemed insatiable, soon outgrew the enclosure he was sharing with his companion owl, and was moved to a brand new, 50-foot raptor flight aviary, where he spent the next four months learning to fly and fine-tuning his live-hunting skills—just like he would if he was wild!
The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, in partnership with Oakhurst Country Club, where the owl was originally found, plans to open the release to interested parties who will be present to witness this magnificent bird’s release back to the wild. Hosted reception will follow the release; champagne and appetizers will be provided.
Ticket Price — Call WCSV to Reserve your Spot Today: 408-929-9453
Age 12+: $100 per ticket
Age 5-12: $25 per ticket
Age 5 and under: Free
Oakhurst Members: $50
Established in 1993, the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley is an independent, nonprofit organization, now entering its 20th year. It is the largest wildlife rehabilitation center in Santa Clara County, and has provided high quality care and rehabilitation for over 100,000 local injured, sick and orphaned birds and mammals since its inception. The organization reaches many thousands of community members each year with its education outreach program and special events.
For more information contact Janet Alexander, Director of Operations at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, 3027 Penitencia Creek Road, San Jose. Telephone: 408.929.WILD. Website: www.wcsv.org.
