From Wildlife Care Association of Sacramento
A successful recovery for this barn owl! ❤️
This barn owl came to us stuck in a glue trap…exhausted, terrified, and covered in adhesive that matted his feathers and made it impossible to fly or stay warm. Glue traps are marketed as an easy fix, but they are indiscriminate and incredibly inhumane. Animals don’t die quickly. They struggle for hours, sometimes days. Birds especially will thrash in panic trying to escape, often breaking wings or legs in the process.
This owl required multiple careful baths to remove the glue without damaging his delicate feather structure. Feathers aren’t just for flight, they provide insulation and the silent movement owls rely on to hunt. Once he was clean, dry, and strong, we flight tested him to be sure he could maneuver and land safely.
We released him back in the exact area where he was found. Why? Because owls have established territories and potentially mates. Releasing him elsewhere could mean displacing him from a partner or a hunting ground he knows well. Returning wildlife home gives them the best possible chance at survival.
His story had a good ending. Many don’t.
Please reconsider using glue traps. Small choices can prevent immense suffering.
The baths. The feather care. The monitoring. The flight testing. It’s the tiny, meticulous work behind the scenes that makes moments like this possible and that’s what our fundraiser Love Is in the Details is all about.
Because love is in the details and today, that love flies free. ❤️
Glue traps are cruel. We can’t have mice in our houses, I hate using bucket traps, but a quicker drowning is better than that. First I soak cotton balls in peppermint oil and throw them where the mice are, most pack up and leave, they hate it, the bucket traps kill the hold outs.
Any effort at reduction of harm is appreciated!