Wargo had space for a raptor. The raptor house on the site previously housed a red-tailed hawk named Kira. Kira died last year. With a few modifications to the enclosure; the owl moved into her new home, and began learning her new routine.
“This is a learning curve for us too,” said intrepretive naturalist Sue Dahl. “We’ve never had any bird of prey that we could use for programming on the fist.”
Sue and the owl are starting slow, introducing the owl to small groups at a time to make sure she feels comfortable around people in the new space. Sue is also using to the owl to teach people how littering on highways can lead to raptor injuries.
“If you throw that apple core out, and a mouse comes to eat it, and then an owl might try to get that mouse on the road, and that’s when those accidents happen,” said Dahl.
Visitors can also learn about owls, just by looking. Owls often go unseen in the wild due to their camoflague, but at the nature center, you can get close to the owl and observe head turns, feather coloring, and talons.
While Sue and the owl settle in, their days involve daily weigh ins, some time indoors, eating quail or mice, and simply spending time together.
