MILLBROOK – A Great Horned Owl named Stinky was returned to the wild last week after being rescued by a state environmental conservation officer on August 26. The majestic bird was rehabilitated at the Trevor Zoo in Millbrook after sustaining injuries from a possible fight with a skunk.
On August 26, State Encon Officer Kevin Wamsley received a call from a man who stated he saw the owl walking around on Sand Hill Road in Dover and the bird would not fly when approached. Wamsley went to the area, captured the owl in a net, and took him to the Trevor Zoo for treatment.
According to the account from Trevor Zoo, Wamsley brought in the owl that “was soaking wet, malnourished and had an overwhelming skunk odor. After closer examination, it was discovered that ‘Stinky’ had a severe leg wound that was so significant the staff did not think he was going to survive the night.”
Zoo social media said it was difficult to determine exactly what happened, “but most likely Stinky had a run-in with a skunk and suffered the injuries in the scrum.”
Stinky, the name derived from his odor, survived the first night and continued healing. Stinky went through months of rehabilitation and weekly checkups with the zoo’s veterinarian, Dr. Laura Jaworski, and was healing. Stinky also received “lots of care and attention from our staff and Zooies,” according to the Trevor Zoo post.
On December 2, Trevor Zoo staff, Zooies, Dr. Jaworski, and Officer Wamsley returned to the area of Dover where the bird was found in August. Dr. Jaworski released the bird around sunset after some pictures were taken and the humans bid the bird farewell.
Stinky flew off to a nearby tree overlooking a field. A couple of Red-tailed Hawks made their presence known and calls of another Great Horned Owl were heard in the distance.
