[T]he parents did not like that
When WILD Florida Rescue (WFR) volunteers Adriane and Lulu responded to a call about four baby owls in distress, they rushed to the scene expecting a quick rescue.
“[T]hey had no idea it would last days,” WFR wrote on Facebook.
It didn’t take long after arriving for the volunteers to realize the rescue effort would be more complicated than expected. After falling through a torn air vent at a construction site, the four screech owlets found themselves on a concrete floor, far from their concerned parents’ nest.
Sadly, the owlets were too young to fly back to their nest, and their parents couldn’t grab them, so it was up to the volunteers to reunite the tiny family. After calling Florida Fish and Wildlife for advice, Adriane set up a makeshift nest near the construction site but away from the danger.
“A nest box was [placed] right outside of the site, but the parents did not like that,” WFR wrote on Facebook.
When the volunteers returned the next day, they realized the owlets’ parents hadn’t stopped by to care for them. So, they made a necessary adjustment.
“The next day, [the nest] was put back inside near the original nest,” WFR wrote. “And [the] parents continued caring for their young.”
While the parents were happy to care for their babies in the original spot where they had them, the rescuers didn’t want to risk another accident happening within the construction site. So, in a final attempt to make the environment as safe for the owl family as possible, the volunteers moved the nesting box to a hybrid location.
“[There was] a slight move of the nest box to compromise an outside-inside deal,” WFR wrote.
Finally, the rescuers found a system that worked for everybody. The owls continued to raise their young while the construction workers finished their tasks inside. And, to keep tabs on everyone’s progress, WFR set up cameras outside the nest.
Over the next few weeks, the WFR staff monitored the cameras and watched as the little owlets blossomed into fledglings. The folks at WFR had initially hoped to keep the family together until the owlets grew big enough to fly the coop instead of separating them, and they were ecstatic to see their wish finally come true.
“We are so thrilled, even with all the work and worries by Adriane and Lulu, that these [babies] remained with [their] parents to fledge,” WFR wrote on Facebook.
You can see more images of the owl family here:
Now that the babies are growing stronger, it’s only a matter of time before they’re independent enough to leave their nest indefinitely. Until then, they’ll keep learning the ropes from their doting parents, and the folks at WFR will continue watching them with glee through the monitors.
Some rescues may not go as planned, but the folks at WFR are overjoyed that their goal of reuniting these tiny owlets with their parents ultimately worked.
“Thank you, Lulu and Adriane, for your ongoing time, care and persistence in securing not only the safety of the owlets and their well-being, but also assuring that they could stay with Mom and Dad instead of being taken away,” WFR wrote. “I love this team!”