Soap baths and oil helped the little owl in the glue
In Florida, a small owl fell into a so-called glue trap (such people put on mice and rats) and smeared in glue. Her feathers stuck together a lot and she couldn’t fly or even walk. If a random passerby hadn’t found her, the bird would have died.
«A local resident found an owl near his house,» says Korney Gerspacher from the Florida Wildlife Hospital veterinary clinic, «Many of the locals set such traps on their sites, but only one of them fell into an owl.»
Courtney managed to carefully remove the owl from the glue trap and bring it to the veterinary center.
«When we examined it, the owl didn’t look good. Her feathers stuck together, and the glue clogged into her beak from the fact that she tried to clean the glue from the feathers with her beak. And because of the glue on her head and neck, she couldn’t even bend down.»
«Fortunately, she had no more serious injuries, but we have repeatedly received animals from such traps, which had broken bones and twisted limbs. Birds and animals maimed themselves while trying to get out of the trap. But even with such «light injuries» this owl looked very unhappy.»
To rid the owl of glue, it had to be thoroughly redeemed, which the owl also did not expect. It was all another trouble for her.
«First, we cleaned it with vegetable oil. This is the best way to get rid of a sticky substance caught on wool or feathers. We used rapeseed oil and thoroughly impregnated the owl feathers with it.»
After that, the owl was thoroughly washed in soapy water and then wrapped in a towel. Judging by the appearance of the owl, she felt a little better.
«After the bath, she was finally able to move her legs and we finally gave her food and water to prevent dehydration.»
The next day, the owl received another bath and then there was another one until it was finally completely rid of the remains of glue. The owl was kept in the street enclosure for a while so that she could recover and calm down, and then checked if she could fly. The owl flew perfectly in the enclosure.
Last week, the rescued owl was released into the wild, in the same area where it was found, but away from homes.
Adhesive traps have long been called a big problem. They can include squirrels and birds and even cats. They are a tray or cardboard on which very sticky glue is poured.
For many years, such traps have been used to combat rodents, but many humane societies, including the Royal British Society for the Protection of Animals — RSPCA, oppose their use.
Glue traps do not kill animals, but animals die a painful death from exhaustion and dehydration, as they cannot get out of the glue.
