RSPCA: Owls about this for a survival story

Tuesday, 9 February 2010 12:00 AM

A Barn owl, rehabilitated and released by the RSPCA over five years ago has recently been spotted alive and well in the wild.

The owl, which was a chick when originally admitted to RSPCA Mallydams Wood in August 2004, was captured in order to have its identification ring read, on the banks of the River Rother in Iden, East Sussex. When the results of the ring identification came through, the Wildlife Centre was chuffed to learn that over 1,700 days after they released the bird into the wild, it was still going strong.

RSPCA Wildlife Officer at Mallydams, Richard Thompson said "This bird has fulfilled all our aims of rehabilitation. It has survived in the wild for as long as we'd expect any Barn owl to, and I even believe the bird has bred in the wild. We have only ringed 29 Barn owls at Mallydams since 1999, so this is a significant and exciting discovery."

This bird was one of three Barn owl chicks originally handed over to an RSPCA volunteer, Angela Walder after they were found on the Isle of Sheppey. Angela sought the help of Richard at Mallydams, and 10 weeks later they released them back into the wild*.

Richard added "We normally take in about five or six injured or sick adults each year rather than nestlings or juveniles, so these were an exception. This is not the first time this bird's been seen since release and we now have a good life history of it after it was spotted twice in 2005, and then once more in 2007".

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Notes to editors:

*Barn owls are listed in Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; the RSPCA operates under a general licence to release these animals into the wild.

Video footage of the chicks when they were first rescued can be requested from the National Press Office.

RSPCA, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, Horsham, West Sussex RH13 9RS
Press office direct lines: 0300 123 0244/0288 Fax: 0303 123 0099
Duty press officer (evenings and weekends) Tel 08448 222888 and ask for pager number 828825
Email: press@rspca.org.uk Website: www.rspca.org.uk

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