This is the moment an owl is released into its natural habitat after it was found injured on the road having apparently been hit by a car.
The bird was found in the mountain village of Carisolo in the northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Sudtirol on 29th March when the country was on lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Passersby immediately contacted the forest department in Pinzolo.
Sergio Merz, manager of the centre where the animal was treated, told local media: “It was unlucky because the person who ran it over probably should not have been around at that time and apparently did not stop to check on its condition.
“The owl was in a bad way. It had a brain trauma, an eye injury and wounds to its legs, but no fractures.
“It was a difficult case because it had been left on the road for a long time.”
Merz said the most difficult part of treatment comes when the animals are able to start moving again.
He said that it “is essential to watch their reactions” and that they often become nervous when they start to move again.
When experts felt the owl was ready, they reportedly carried out a test flight in a three-metre high wind tunnel.
After a month of rehabilitation, the owl was released back into its natural habitat close to where it was found as seen in the heartwarming video clip.
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Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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