Yesterday, thanks to the quick thinking and resourcefulness of several employees of the Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids, a Great Horned Owl was rescued.
It’s talon hooked in a branch, the owl, hanging upside down, had been trying desperately to free itself for several hours.
In the picture at left, Meg Gerndt holds the owl in her lap as she and Zach Tomaszewski transport it to the Wildlife Rehab Center in Grand Rapids for recovery and release back at Marywood in a few days.
Matt Hazel discovered the distressed owl hanging upside down from a tree branch 50 feet up Tuesday morning. Climbing the tree to try to free the bird wasn’t a possibility. “We needed a truck with a boom,” said Zach.
Phil Hall called the electrical contractor the Dominican Sisters have relied on for years: Bazen Electric. “We need your help, we need a truck with a boom and we need it right away.”
It wasn’t long before Bazen Electrician Bob Klochack arrived, parked his truck beneath the owl, calmly assessed the situation and hoisted his bucket. He clipped back the branches and then clipped the branch the owl was on. The owl didn’t stir as Bob guided the bucket downward to where Matt and Meg stood to assist.
The exhausted owl had abrasions along it’s bloodied foot. Thankfully the owl was otherwise deemed healthy by a wildlife expert. It will be treated for a few days and released back into its habitat at Marywood.
A class of smalls from Whistle Stop Child Development Center were among the observers and their cheers rang out as Bob lowered the owl from the tree. Thank you to everybody involved in this demonstration of compassion.
