Rare short-eared owl dies despite surgery

An endangered short-eared owl, considered important to the survival of its species, has died despite veterinarians’ best efforts to keep her alive.

“Shortie” was discovered in Stourbridge, West Midlands, on Sunday and was treated at Evolution Exotics, in Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire.

The clinic had hoped she would recover and either be returned to the wild or introduced into a breeding program.

Veterinarian Marie Kubiak said that after surviving her long surgery, Shortie began to improve, but she did not have enough reserves left to continue her recovery.

The raptor is a species listed in conservation files as having amber risk status and the clinic said it had not previously operated on an owl like Shortie.

After discovering her, a member of the public took the bird to The Falconry Center in nearby Hagley, before she was transferred to Evolution Exotics.

Tests showed the owl had four fractures in two of her bones and a puncture wound in her left eye.

After being moved to a recovery cage, the clinic said she had suffered “a very sudden deterioration.”

It said she “unfortunately did not have enough reserves left to see her through this challenging phase”.

The clinic called her death ‘devastating news’