24th of Owltober!

Samantha the Barred Owl is burrito-wrapped so her carers can trim her beak and talons. She was an ambassador owl at a bat clinic (Save the Bats) which is fitting because today begins Bat Conservation Week.

Ambassador for Save the Bats?! 🤨

Samantha: "I love bats, they're delicious!"

Wow, she's had a crazy life.

Sam (short for Samantha) was found in April of 2010 in Alabama as an orphaned nestling with injuries to her right wing and wounds on her lower back. It is believed that she fell out of her nest and was attacked by a dog.

She began her rehabilitation journey at the Alabama Wildlife Center for a short time until she was transferred to the Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University. Sam had surgery to place pins in her wing to align the fracture. After removing the pins and going through physical therapy, it was determined that she was unable to move her right wing well enough to fly and could not be released back to the wild. She was transferred to the Organization for Bat Conservation on July 10, 2010, and then to the Stage Nature Center in February 2018. Because Sam was raised by people from a very young age, she is considered an “imprint”.

Imprints like her often identify with people more than they do other members of their species, which is why she will sometimes greet people by calling out when she hears or sees them.