A snowy owl is caught in the grille of a car in northeastern Minnesota before being rescued by Annabell Whelan on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (Annabell Whelan via AP)
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.
Amazingly, Whelan was out with her boyfriend’s family later Monday in Duluth when she spotted another injured owl — this one the snowy owl that had collided with a car and was in the grille. Since Wildwoods had already closed, Whelan took the snowy owl home for the night.
Both owls were eventually sent to The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.
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