EUROPEAN EAGLE-OWL RELEASED BACK INTO NATURE

Prospekt News

EUROPEAN EAGLE-OWL RELEASED BACK INTO NATURE

In February of this year, passers-by spotted an injured adult European eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) in the vicinity of Jurdani. The owl was brought to the Rijeka Veterinary Station, where the staff contacted Public Institution Priroda to arrange further help in providing medical care to the animal. P.I. Priroda organized the transport of the bird to the Falconry Centre in Šibenik. At the Centre, after an examination revealed the owl to have an open fracture of the wing (probably sustained after being hit by a large vehicle), the bird immediately underwent surgery. Initially, the bird’s recovery after the operation did not show promising signs. However, thanks to the expertise and perseverance of Emilio Menđušić and his associate, Stipe Klisović, the owl made a full recovery and was ready to be released back into the wild. Earlier this week, P.I. Priroda retrieved the bird from the Šibenik Falconry Centre and released it back into nature after it had been ringed by Boris Ende. We would like to extend a big thank you to the good people who found the injured owl and saved it from certain death, to Milka Mijanović at the Rijeka Veterinary Centre and to Boris Ende, and especially to the Šibenik Falconry Centre for the successful recovery of this magnificent bird.

The European eagle-owl is a strictly protected species and the largest owl species in Croatia. With a wing span of up to 180 cm, it is also one of the largest owl species in the world. In Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, it can often be found in the littoral region and on the islands, inhabiting rocky, open spaces and canyons, where it nests and hides during the day until dusk, when it comes out to hunt.

Irena Jurić

 

Photo 1. The owl is ringed and released back into nature (Photo by Nina Trinajstić)