Coma Owl Wakes Up!

April 2, 2011

A wonderful vet name Quinny recently brought us an owl that had severe swelling on the brain from crashing head-first into a window. She had to choose between putting him to sleep, or giving him to us to see if he could recover. Often birds with brain injury seem hopeless, but with time and care many fully recover once the swelling recedes. However, this owl was the worst we’d ever had. He seemed unconscious most of the time, and the only way we knew he was alive was the occasional slow blink. We’ve been forcing food into his crop for over a week now, and taking encouragement from slow but steady signs of progress. This morning our efforts were rewarded. Blinky is scambling around his cage, trying to stand, swallowing food on his own, and – as you can see from this magnificent photo – spreading and flapping his wings with vigour. We get very attached to the birds we care for, so today was an emotional one for us… time for a celebration!!