Posted: Jan 24, 2021 7:00 AM AT | Last Updated: January 24 comments
The snowy owl that was released by the Atlantic Vet College in early January after recovering from starvation. (UPEI Marketing and Communications)
A couple of weeks ago, a snowy owl in the care of Atlantic Veterinary College staff was released back into the wild after recovering from severe emaciation.
It was an event Dave McRuer says is uncommon usually, by the time snowy owls are found in this condition, he said it is too late to save them.
McRuer is a wildlife health specialist with Parks Canada based at the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown. His job takes him to national parks across Canada, where he has periodically come in contact with snowy owls. He was also director of wildlife services for 11 years at the Wildlife Centre of Virginia, where they would occasionally receive snowy owls, and worked with them as intern at the University of Saskatchewan.