By Sonica Naudé-Steyn
A Barn Owl chick, weighing a mere 90g, was discovered and rescued in Ixopo after being displaced from its nest.
This according to Free Me Wildlife Centre Manager, Elishia Goosen, who says the chick was brought to their centre in Howick for advanced care.
“We received a call from Garth on the 14th of March about a Barn Owl chick that had been displaced from its nest at Hoddy’s Engineering, Ixopo. Next to the owlet was its un-hatched sibling, which was unfortunately deceased. The rescuer kept the baby warm overnight, and it was brought through to our centre the next day by Merredy. Merredy lives in Ixopo and brings us Spotted Eagle Owl chicks to raise and return annually, as they fledge in a dangerous area,” explained Elishia.
Elishia said that they estimated the chick to be less than a week old due to its admission weight of 90g,
“He was in good condition, and after administering some warm fluids he immediately scarfed down his first meal. He is still in care and growing well,” she said. The hope is to allow the owl chick to strengthen and grow and be released back into the wild one day.
If you are interested in assisting the organisation, donations can be made on the website or in person: https://freemewildlife.org/support-us/. There is also a custodian program, where people can sign up for a monthly donation. If anyone wants to make a non-monetary donation, please contact the organisation on admin@freemewildlife.org and also follow them on social media where they are very active.
- A little Barn Owl chick was taken to the Free Me Wildlife organisation in Howick after I was discovered displaced from its nest in Ixopo. Photos: Supplied.
