TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, an environmental advocacy organization aimed at protecting the land and wildlife in the area, says it rescued an eastern screech owl that somehow found itself drenched in chemically treated water on Feb. 8.
The owl was found late in the afternoon when homeowners noticed it inside their garage.
The homeowners managed to gather the bird in a box for transportation and took it to the hospital, where staff noticed the owl was in apparent pain and had a blue-tinted liquid covering its feathers, according to the Conservancy.
It is believed the owl somehow got into a portable toilet being kept on the site of a home construction next door to the rescuer’s home, coming into contact with the blue, chemically treated water in the toilet.
After allowing the owl to rest while bathing in a bowl of water and giving the bird pain medication, the staff managed to get all the chemical water out of the owl’s feathers before letting them dry off in a warm intensive care unit.
The Conservancy said after three days of care with pain medication, antibiotics, and herbal treatments, the bird began to eat on its own. The owl is now recovering in the bird room at the von Arx Wildlife Hospital.
