Barred owl's wing becomes impaled in wires from plumbing snake in West Hartford
A barred owl is recovering after a rare injury involving what a Connecticut wildlife rehabilitation center says was a plumbing snake in West Hartford.
A Place Called Hope, a nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation organization in Killingworth, said the owl became snagged on the tool, which it described as a plumbing snake. The organization said the bent wire at the end pierced completely through the owl’s wing tissue, leaving a hole as the bird struggled to free itself.
“This is a first! For us anyhow,” A Place Called Hope wrote in a Facebook post.
A West Hartford Animal Control officer rescued the owl, and A Place Called Hope treated it.
The owl has since begun its recovery and is receiving cold laser therapy to help its wing heal, according to A Place Called Hope.
The nonprofit said the owl’s injury serves as a reminder for people to safely store tools, sports equipment, and other items that could pose a danger to wildlife.
“Please remember to put away tools, sports equipment, or anything that may cause injury to our wildlife,” the organization said. “It may have never happened before, but never say never.”
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