Sully - Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owls typically have 2-4 chicks which rapidly outgrow their nest. These little chicks just about double in size daily for the first few weeks, eating close to a pound of food each day. When they no longer fit, but cannot yet fly, they venture out on nearby branches, where their parents feed them. Often, they fall to the ground and are in danger from dogs, cats, people and other wildlife. Such was the case with Sully. Brought to Badger Run for raising, we had to carefully tear up whole natural prey items such as rodents, snakes and other small mammals, feeding him with forceps from behind a blind so he did not see humans as providers of food. As he got larger, so did his food items. Eventually, he was given whole prey to tear up himself. When old enough, he was given a variety of live, natural prey items, to hone his hunting and killing skills. He passed his lessons with “flying” colors, and is now soaring above the Klamath basin, living the great life of a Great Horned Owl.
