RSPCA Friends of West Hatch Newsletter | Issue 16 RSPCA-Newsletter-SummerAutumn-2019-online | Page 7

The tale of the
tainted tawny
On 20th April we admitted a very cold,
sad and dirty Tawny Owl that had been
rescued from a slurry pit near Honiton
in Devon.
On arrival it was hard to tell what condition
the owl was in and if she would in fact
survive due to all the contamination. When
she had warmed up, been given fluid therapy
and had some rest she was ready to be
washed in our specialist bird wash room. 
This is a delicate process as we have to
ensure that the feathers are not damaged
during the washing.
As you can see from the photos the slurry
came off well and after drying a beautiful
tawny owl appeared. Following a few
more days rest and rehabilitation she was
successfully released near to where she
was found. 
We often get owls admitted to the hospital
after falling into slurry pits. We can only
assume they are hunting rodents nearby
and when they land sometimes they find
themselves in a bit of trouble!