What to do if you find a stranded owl

Eco Solutions has provided some advice on what to do if one finds a stranded owl.

Johannesburg has a thriving owl population, so this is not uncommon.

“Younger spotted eagle owls will spend a few days on the ground while they are fledgling so unless they are injured it is best to leave them be,” said the Randpark Ridge company’s Sara Orchardson.

“If the owlet is injured you cam take it to a vet, animal rehabilitation centre or the SPCA.”

But she said it would be a good idea to call the establishment first to let them know you are coming and to see if they are equipped to treat an owlet.

“If you see owls in your garden, you can contact us and we will install an owl box for you. But it is imperative the box is serviced every year. If you cannot afford for the service, then perhaps reconsider whether you would like to keep the owls.”

She said owlets leave home at six months, so it was common to see even young owls with ear tufts looking to make a home.

If an owl does not have ear tufts it might be too young to be looking to make its own home.

Orchardson gave this advice after she and her colleague Zander van Manen successfully rehomed a 10-day-old owlet, placing it with a new family of owls in a nest on a Linden property.