Injured snowy owl rescued in NW Kansas

LANE COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) - It was a rare sight in Lane County on Sunday as a game warden and sheriff’s office tended to an injured snowy owl. It was the first documentation of a snowy owl in Lane County.

Game Warden Angie Reisch reportedly crawled under a barbed wire fence and chased after the owl on the ground. After being caught, she contacted Carrie’s Rehab Critters for assistance. She then drove the injured bird more than 2 1/2 hours one way to Hill City so the owl could receive further care.

“This beautiful owl is emaciated and dehydrated. Luckily, no major injuries were found. Treatment started with tube feeding of electrolytes and a spray treatment for bird lice,” said Game Warden Angie Reisch.

Reisch said snowy owls normally weigh four pounds, but by the time she got it to the rescue, the owl she had found weighed 2 pounds 9 ounces.