AMESBURY — The town's animal control officer is trying to raise awareness about the dangers and consequences of animal leg traps after a great horned owl was found in a Main Street backyard with one secured to its leg this past weekend.
Animal control officer Eileen Cashman, police officer David Clark and wildlife expert David Taylor responded to a Main Street backyard after a passing motorist alerted police that the owl appeared to be in distress.
The owl was sitting perched on landscape timber and had a leghold trap on its two front talons. Like all native birds, the great horned owl is a protected species.
Arriving at the scene after being called by Cashman, Taylor captured the owl, and police removed the leg trap. The bird is recovering at Taylor's home.
After examining the owl, Taylor said he believes the trap was on the talons for a period of time — perhaps a few days or even as long as a week. Since owls use their talons to capture and kill food, it's likely the owl just ran out of energy, he said.
Without use of its talons, an owl will starve to death, Taylor said.
"He's at an extreme disadvantage," Taylor said.
Leghold traps, designed to clamp on an animal's leg once stepped on, are illegal in Massachusetts. Use of a trap is punishable by a fine between $300 and $1,000, or by imprisonment of up to six months. Both a fine and jail time could apply for each trap possessed, used, set, placed, maintained, or manufactured.
"This is a huge danger to small children and domestic animals," Cashman wrote in an e-mail yesterday.
Since the owl had the trap on for some time, Taylor said, it's extremely unlikely there will be prosecution in the case since the owl could have picked it up anywhere.
"He could've flown five miles with his leghold trap," he said.
Taylor added that the bird is fortunate it didn't pick up the trap on its leg and cut off the blood supply.
The owl is being kept in a protected area and getting nourishment and calories, Taylor said.
"I'm fattening him up to build up his strength," Taylor said.
Once the owl is nourished, Taylor said he will bring him to Newbury Animal Hospital, where veterinarian John Grillo donates his services to examine the wildlife Taylor treats.
At that time, Taylor said, a better assessment of the impact on the bird's talons will be obtained. They will find out if the talons have been crushed to a point where there is no blood supply and can no longer be used. Amputating an owl's talons takes away the ability to capture food, Taylor said.
The owl is standing without falling over, Taylor said.
"I'm hopeful," he said. "He's got a pretty aggressive appetite. I'm sure he feels a whole lot better."
ALL ABOUT THE GREAT HORNED OWL:
r The great horned owl is one of the most common owls in North America.
r It can be identified by its prominent ear tufts widely spaced on its head.
r The call is a deep hooting "hoo-h'HOO—hoo-hoo."
r The great horned owl is the only animal that regularly eats skunks. It takes large prey and will regularly kill and eat other owls.
r Its average size is 46 to 63 centimeters (18 to 25 inches) and a weight of 910 to 2,500 grams (32.12 to 88.25 ounces).
Source: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Great_Horned_Owl.html
