ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — One of the two owls rescued by a Minnesota woman in a story that went viral this week has died, but the other is still getting medical care.
Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Duluth said in a Facebook post Thursday that the snowy owl rescued by Annabell Whelan had internal injuries, a broken wing and a broken leg.
“Because the injuries could not be fixed and the bird would be unable to fly again, the kindest option available for this majestic wild bird was a peaceful passing via euthanasia,” the post said.
The great gray owl also rescued by Whelan on Monday suffered broken bones and large soft tissue wounds in a wing, Wildwoods said in the post. The injuries are severe, but veterinarians at The Raptor Center in St. Paul “are doing everything they can to give this bird a chance at recovery,” the post said.
Whelan, a 22-year-old Lake Superior Zoo guest experience manager, found the injured great gray owl on the ground in Two Harbors, Minnesota. She scooped up the owl in a blanket, transferred him to a dog crate in the car and took it to Wildwoods.