A snowy owl is back where it belongs after a community came together to save it.
When the Haasen family found the owl in their barn in early February, they hoped for the best and contacted birders in Timmins who could help. On Sunday, March 9, the owl was released on their land with a crowd looking on.
“He flew down in with the cows, and the cows were going crazy and trampled it, so I just ran in and grabbed it,” Ivy Haasen told TimminsToday.
Eddy Haasen said this was the second time they had found a snowy owl in one of the farm buildings.
“The first one, they weren’t able to save it, but this one, they were able to treat it and rehabilitate it,” he said. “There are a lot of birds around here, but we don’t typically see owls.”
The community sprang into action, transporting the snowy owl to Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre near Sudbury, where it received treatment for its injuries.
“They are, unfortunately, the closest rescue nearby. They can tell you if they have space or if they think it’s possible to participate,” said Nicole Charbonneau, a member of the Timmins Bird Group on Facebook.
“Usually, it’s a coordination of volunteers online to get the bird transported to the rescue.”
While the experts at Turtle Pond said that the owl might take its time getting its bearings when the transport crate was opened, that didn’t seem to be the case. The owl took flight as soon as the lid came off the crate.
“This is a really great sign that the reintroduction is going to work out,” said Charbonneau. “He’s fit to go out and do his thing here. He’s fit to fly.”
Snowy owls are listed as globally vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to changes in food availability due to climate change and high mortality rates from collisions with vehicles and other manmade structures.
Members of Mattagami First Nation were also present for the owl’s release. Chief Jennifer Constant said it was a special moment to be a part of.
“It’s the best scenario to see it jump out and fly off and not see it distressed anymore,” said Constant. “It’s an opportunity for us to see wildlife up close and living and thriving, and I love that they reached out to invite us to this because it is significant to see something like this.”
Eddy said the family is happy to see the owl back on the land.
“We are stewards of the land here, and we try to help out where we can,” he said. “We saw something in need and did what we could to help it.”