Tale of an Eagle Owl Rescue in the Crags!

Rescued Eagle Owl recovering in Tenikwa’s wild animal hospital
Rescued Eagle Owl recovering in Tenikwa’s wild animal hospital
Wednesday last week, after a long-damp-grey-misery spell of weather in our otherwise beautiful and perfect Crags, I decided to head out with my dogs for an evening walk down to Whisky Creek. The evening was wonderful, the air, champagne and when I got to the river I couldn’t resist going just a little further, even though the sun was setting. I was full of spring energy and before I could think twice I was up on top of the ridge on the far side! Then, as the evening was spectacular I just had to continue on heading along the edge of the Whisky Creek reserve towards the mountains (by then I was growling to myself about getting benighted and breaking my neck, but I took no notice…!) The fynbos was magnificent and I was happily at my usual occupation (pulling wattles as I stride along) when I noticed something that looked like rubbish hanging from the barbed wire fence running along the edge of the reserve. I hesitated, then stopped dead, and stared at the rubbish. I wondered slowly and stupidly about it looking just like a bunch of large feathers hanging there!
Then, shockingly, the ‘rubbish’ suddenly turned brilliant yellow eyes on me, and clacked its beak and hissed! I was thunderstruck! I was staring into the eyes of an Eagle Owl hanging from its shoulder, impaled on the barbs of the fence. She had probably been there for days. Oh! My! Gosh! What to do? Of course I had no phone on me and certainly no wire cutters! I thought of taking off my T shirt to throw over her head, but what if I couldn’t get her off the wire… and what if she needed treatment? And I couldn’t carry her back; home was miles away across the river! What to do!? My second thought: Mandy! Tenikwa! Help!
I galloped several kilometres as fast as I could (well trotted breathlessly to be honest!) to the nearest neighbours who, thank goodness, were up and ready for an emergency and quickly called 911 (i.e. Tenikwa!)! Mandy, having taken the call, without stopping to finish her tea, leapt into her bakkie and set off, all sirens blazing, doing a death defying high speed drive to the scene!
Once there, Mandy was all calm efficiency. After getting a towel over the owl’s head to stop it tearing our loving hands to shreds, and getting someone to hang on to its fierce talons, she slowly tried to separate the poor bird from the barbs impaling it. It was thoroughly stuck and eventually wire cutters were the only thing for it! At last the bird was free and Mandy whisked her back to the wildlife hospital at Tenikwa to get her wounds seen to and get her re-hydrated.
After the rescue I felt thrilled and elated! I felt so honoured to have been able to assist a magnificent and endangered owl back to life and freedom, and to save it from such a horrible slow death. Thank you Tenikwa!
Needless to say I was benighted on my way back home and eventually arrived scratched, and dishevelled from pushing my way through thorns, but I felt no pain! My heart was light as a feather and there were fireflies dancing in the dark of the forest all the way. And frogs and cicadas were serenading me….ok, ok, I will shut up now…!
One last word, my dogs were very unimpressed about being late for their dinner and grumbled firmly at me that they could have dealt with that owl in no time, given half a chance…!!
Written by Jane Luck.