Great horned owl soars to freedom after months of rehabilitation
TULAROSA, N.M. (KVIA) -- For the first time in her life, Hootie the owl is flying free. She was recently released to the wild at Floren Family Farms in Tularosa, New Mexico -- not far from where she was found as a helpless little owlette under a pine tree.
Hootie and her sibling fell from their nest after a violent windstorm. Hootie was the only one who survived. Unable to fly, she just sat there.
Now, months later, those who witnessed Hootie take flight with her massive, powerful wings were visibly moved. Some cried, others cheered. After her first flight, Hootie further wowed the crowd by perching in a nearby cottonwood tree, posing for pictures.
"It was almost like she was thanking you," said Jose Donnadieu.
Hootie may be sitting pretty now, but she likely wouldn't have survived had it not been for a network of local volunteers.
Cressie Drummond, first spotted the owl while out on her walk. The Floren family cared for Hootie overnight. Lisa Shydlower fed her and drove her to El Paso's Second Chance Rehab.
"She was just a little bitty ball of fluff," Schydlower says. "And she had some weird thing going on on the side of her head."
That "weird thing" was an ear infection, which Hootie was treated for at the El Paso Zoo's Raptor Rehab Center.
"She had a big infection in there. It took a little while to clean it up," says Dr. Vikki Milne, head veterinarian at the zoo. She made sure Hootie's hearing was good enough to hunt in the wild. Thankfully, it was. Had Hootie had permanent damage, she may have had to live at the zoo and become what they call a "teaching animal."
Once it was determined Hootie was ready for the next step, ABC-7's Hillary Floren and her husband Tom took a road trip from El Paso to Silver City New Mexico, with Hootie in a box in the back seat.
They dropped her off at Gila Wildlife Rescue. Dennis and Denise Miller gave a tour of their backyard, which is a beautiful gateway itself. It has green grass, water features and little ponds lead up to a collection of wooden cages, built by Dennis himself, to house wildlife of all kinds.
Dennis is licensed to care for animals most people can't. The stories they tell are impressive, and you can tell they truly love what they do.
Gila Wildlife Rescue has rehabilitated more than 12,000 animals in the past 47 years. Not just raptors, but wildlife of all kinds, including deer, bobcats, javalinas and raccoons.
Even after thousands of releases similar to Hootie's, each one is still special. Dennis says a bird has to fly to feed its spirit.
"It's almost a spiritual experience. A spiritual freeing for them to be able to fly free. I feel gratitude that we've been part of their healing," Denise said.
Old and young, those who witnessed Hootie's release at the farm shared in that feeling.
"I think it's important that kids learn from a young age that we can make a difference as well. I'm really grateful that they got to experience this so close up," one visitor said.
It's unclear whether Hootie will stick around on the farm. Floren Family Farms said it'll look for little reminders of her, like a feather recently found in a lavender bush.
