Ambassador Whisper

This California Spotted Owl named “Whisper,” is rarely seen. Whisper was found on the ground near Georgetown. He was being attacked by crows, too sick to defend himself. They targeted and pecked his eyes which is not uncommon when birds attack other animals. He lost one eye and the other eye was injured from the attack. Bloodwork also revealed Whisper had a parasitic infection requiring extensive treatment. He resides with his handler, who spent 8 months getting him back to better health.

Owls, unlike hawks, can survive and hunt in the wild with only one eye, relying mostly on their hearing but since the remaining eye was damaged, Whisper found a home with our education team. Whisper is 6 years old and in the wild can live up to 17 years. These spotted owls can only be found in old growth forests which are still in decline and don’t always reproduce yearly, so these owls are considered a “threatened species.”