Owl in peril

This morning we got a call from Chris Gorman reporting that he spotted an owl on the ground at the edge of his yard, obviously ill or injured. The owl's demeanor reminded me of the owl that landed on our deck years ago, sickened by rat poison (the Horicon rehabilitator named him "D-CON"). Unfortunately, this time, the owl disappeared before I could grab a blanket and rustle up a box. I searched awhile for him but only saw a fox prowling...so the owl is vulnerable. Please watch for him, as he's not in good shape. If you spot him, here are a few capture tips we learned from the rehabilitator several years ago:

1. Put on a pair of heavy gloves to protect your hands.
2. Approach from the back and use a large towel, sheet or blanket to wrap around him, carefully folding his wings into his body. (Watch out for those strong talons and beak...even a sick raptor can cause injury.)
3. Put him in a large box (first poke holes in the box for air circulation).
4. Call a raptor rehabilitator.

I'm waiting to hear from Joanne Dean at Wildlife Horizons. She is the bookkeeper at our Racine Zoo and the one who came to rescue D-CON and drove him to the raptor rehabilitator in Horicon. If she is willing, I will post her contact info. Another contact to try is Fellow Mortals in Lake Geneva (262-248-5055).

Thank you!