Firefighter Rescues Great Horned Owl

An injured owl is rescued from SoCal wildfires in November 2008

Animal rescue workers have already begun their work.  (ValleyWildlifeCare.org) 

Brenda Varvarigos, director of the nonprofit Valley Wildlife Care (yes, they need your donations) sent a photo of this injured owl around the Internet, with this note:

"Not only do people loose their homes during the fires, so do thousands of wild animals.  Due to the fact that I am the only bird rehabilitator that will intake emergency wildlife 24 hrs a day, I have not had much sleep. The patients coming in are very sad cases, many of them not salvageable.

"This male Great Horned Owl flew right thru an open flame in Sylmar last night. A firefighter spotted him coming thru the heavy black cloud when he noticed that he looked like he could barely fly and was very disoriented.  He thought quick to get his hose on him and down he came.  Thank god for this firefighter; the owl's eye's were completely singed and his eye lids almost burnt off. There was so much debris and ash ain his eyes, nose and throat, I am amazed he was still capable of flight.

"After lots of flushing, fluids, and care he has become alert to his surroundings and is now standing up.  He needs constant oxygen and cool rags on his eyes and face.  What we don't know is if his vision will be affected. After he is stable, he will see a Veterinary opthimoligist to asses his eyes.

"I have 3 owls here from the fires. The other two have oxygen tubes down thier throats and they have virtually no feathers as they burnt completely off. They are in heated incubators trying to survive. So far, so good."

In another correspondence, Brenda wrote:

"Here is Smoky Joe. After several eye treatments throughout the night, he was able to open his eyes.  I was pleased as his pupils showed stable light response and he appears to have no impaired vision.  His eye lids are raw and bleeding, but intact. Of course, once stable, he will still get checked by the eye doc. I flushed him with fluids and he coughed up about 1/4 cup of ash. His incubator smells like a chimney :("