A rescue owl taken in by a wildlife rehabilitator has found a permanent home with a human family and goes everywhere with them!
The owl was rescued by falconer Alura, who decided to keep the owl and welcome her in as a permanent part of the family.
In an interview with The Dodo, Alura explained that she holds two licenses to work with birds of prey. Her goal is to rescue, raise, and release the animals but sometimes, an individual will come to her that’s non-releasable.
Michael happened to be one such raptor that she rescued as a baby. The Eurasian eagle owl ended up being non-releasable and Alura made the decision to keep her and give her the best life possible.
Part of living with a wild animal includes forming a bond with that animal that allows her to feel like part of the family. That’s exactly what Alura did.
As she shared with The Dodo, Micahel accompanied her everywhere from school drop-offs to grocery store runs. The bird grew comfortable not only with her but her with kids as well! Eventually, Michael imprinted on Alura and the family and accepted the humans as her own.
“The bond between a Eurasian eagle owl and a human is a truly remarkable thing to witness. As the owl is hand-raised from a young age, it begins to see its human companion as a member of its family. …As the owl grows, it becomes increasingly confident and comfortable around its human companion, and can be trained to perform various tasks such as hunting and flying to a glove or perch.”
She added, “Despite the bond between owl and human, it’s important to remember that even the most well-trained eagle owl is still a wild animal and should be treated with respect and caution. It is also important to provide them with the appropriate environment, diet, and enrichment to maintain their physical and mental well-being.”
If you’d like to see more of Micahel and Alura and their unique bond, be sure to check out the video below:
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
