Animal

Joyful Homecoming: Rescued Owls Return to the Wild

When orphaned baby screech owls arrive at the Austin Wildlife Rescue, their journey back to the wild begins with tender care and love. The animal advocates at the center do everything they can to reunite these young owls with their original families. But if re-nesting isn’t possible, the little owlets soon find themselves in a new, loving family.

“We always combine babies of the same age,” says Kathryn Mattison, the animal care manager at Austin Wildlife Rescue. “This helps create a family group they can grow up in.”

The tiny owlets are first kept in an incubator, where they are closely monitored and nurtured. As they grow stronger, they graduate to a flight enclosure, where they can practice flying and build up the strength they’ll need to survive in the wild. The final stage of their rehabilitation is the most exciting: their release back into nature.

Recently, a group of these rescued screech owls experienced this momentous day on a property in Elgin, Texas. When the door of their carrier was opened, they were greeted with 15 acres of untouched, wooded paradise—their new home. The owls were visibly thrilled, almost in disbelief at the sight of their new surroundings.

Eastern screech owls are known for their expressive faces, and even Mattison, who regularly works with owls, was struck by their reaction. “They were in awe and shock at their new surroundings,” she said.

With the carrier door open wide, the owls didn’t hesitate. They soared beautifully into the trees, demonstrating their readiness to embrace their new life.

For Mattison and the rest of the team at Austin Wildlife Rescue, moments like this are the most rewarding part of their work. “It is always incredible to see the animals we raise go back into the wild, where they belong,” she said. “Our goal is to rehabilitate and release, so when you get to see them fly off and it goes perfectly, that’s when you know they will thrive.”