A specialist in avian rehabilitation in Des Moines has examined the orphaned owl found along 18th Street in Perry Tuesday night and rescued by the Humane Society of Perry, and her prognosis was not encouraging.
Humane Society of Perry volunteer Joyce Conklin VanKirk received this message from the bird doctor Wednesday evening:”Screech owl. Head trauma. I gave some fluids. He will go to Kay tomorrow.”
Kay refers to Kay Neumann, executive director of Save Our Avian Resources (SOAR), a raptor rehab group in Dedham, Iowa.
“When she looked at it, she did notice its left eye appeared swollen, perhaps due to head trauma,” VanKirk said, adding that she is still “hopeful. I have real hope that it will fully recover and be released.”
At the same time, she said the bird specialist “promised to let me know if it passes away.”
Justine Nicole Irwin of Perry reported the stranded owl to the Perry Police Department shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday. Irwin told police her sister, Haley Jo Irwin, “found an injured baby owl in the middle of the roadway near the high school golf practice range” and “pushed the owl off the road with a broom.”
The Irwin sisters seemed pleased the Humane Society of Perry was able to rescue the owl and see it treated.
“Thank goodness I called and it’s getting help,” Justine Nicole Irwin said Wednesday to her sister on Facebook, “and you and mom got it off the road!”
The bird specialist’s assessment supported the original judgment of Perry Police Department Officer Wayne Schuttler, who inspected the small raptor Tuesday night and concluded it appeared to be injured or ill.
ThePerryNews.com will update this story as information becomes available.
