What Are the Chances This Weston Owl Gets Better Medical Care Than You?

According to CBS, an owl is on the mend after a collision with a car grill in Weston, CT.

Get our free mobile app

The unnamed owl flew into the car on Wednesday (4/26/23) and Weston Police were called. The responding officers were reportedly able to free the owl which is being cared for by Christine's Critters, a Weston animal refuge. According to reports, the owl is expected to make a full recovery.

Shout out to Weston PD and Christine's Critters for their work!

I know I'm just asking for trouble this one but here's today's poll question.

Now, I'd like to be clear about a few things:

• I'm happy the owl will be OK
• I want things to be OK for this owl.
• I have no doubt that Christine's Critters and all the folks there are wonderful peeps.
• Everyone in this story did wonderful things to make certain a living thing would survive a terribly traumatic situation.
• Owls don't litter or say s----y things on Twitter
• It costs far less to treat an owl than a giant human

Just answer the question or move along. The comment is simple, people (humans) need better, less expensive medical care. My wish is that from today forward, we all treat one another like injured owls.

Fun Facts about Owls courtesy of the I-95 Morning Show animal expert Jen "The Zookeeper" Kotkin:

Owls eyeballs are so big that they are stuck inside the socket. They are so big that they cannot move their eyeballs to look left or right, up or down the way humans can. What they do instead is they have to turn their head to be able to see what’s above, below, in front or behind them. And speaking of turning their heads.

We have seven neck vertebrae, owls have twice as many in their necks, giving them the ability to turn their heads up to 270 degrees!

Owls ears are off centered: one ear is raised up a bit and moved forward toward the front of their head. The other ear is lower and moved towards the back of the head. This allows them to triangulate and pinpoint where the sound is coming from, no matter where the prey is: on the ground, above them, etc.

And speaking of hearing, the barn owl, who has the best hearing of them all, can hear a mouse’s footsteps from approx 1/4 mile away! This is partially due to this particular owl species ‘facial disks’, which act like mini satellite dishes, channeling sound waves directly to their ears.

Most importantly: If it weren’t for owls and other birds of prey (eagles, hawks and falcons) this planet would be overrun by Rodents.

Remember the fact I told you a few weeks back: Rats reach sexual maturity after 4-5 weeks, meaning that a population can swell from two rats to around 1,250 in one year, with the potential to grow exponentially.

So if you happen to see a bird of prey in or near your property, thank it! It’s taking care of the rodent population without you having to interfere.

If you do have to interfere, do not use rodenticides to kill rodents. Remember the food chain you learned in grade school: if the owls eat that rodent filled with rodenticide, it will die too. And a dead owl can’t hunt for rodents.

About Jen "The Zookeeper"

Jen has been immersed in the conservation & science education field for over 30 years. While working as Director of Animal Care for The New Canaan Nature Center in Connecticut, she was responsible for the care of native wildlife and birds of prey, while teaching the public about the roles of these wild neighbors. While with the Bronx Zoo and Los Angeles Zoo, Jen’s main priority was the care of exotic hoofstock, again while teaching the public about the delicate balance of humans & habitats. While working with a wildlife sanctuary in Half Moon Bay, CA, Jen played a major role in the wildlife training and handling of some 50 exotic species. Her major focus was creating curriculum for a variety of programs including at-risk and foster youth programming. These programs encompassed helping fragile children gain a sense of trust and worth while developing a healing relationship with the non releasable wildlife at the sanctuary.

Currently, Jen is the owner and sole proprietor of Jen Kotkin Pet Care, providing pet care as well as mental and physical exercise & stimulation for dogs, cats, horses, birds and more.

Jen continues to create a variety of programs catered to the needs of many organizations. Her passion for teaching about the natural world to those around her is important, and hopes to ignite this spark for others, just as it did for her!

Want to watch a Screech Owl in Texas Live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Good, we've got you covered.

Check out the Ethan, Lou & Large Dave Podcast on Apple and Spotify