Via Hope for Wildlife
This beautiful barred owl is one of the first patients brought to Hope for Wildlife in 2023
Hit by a car, she has a suspected fracture of the radius bone in her left wing. We have over a dozen barred owls in rehab right now as a result of being hit by cars. As the days get shorter and it gets darker earlier as the fall and winter seasons come around, animals that are active in the dark cross paths with humans more frequently. There are far more of us on the road when it’s dark at 6PM in the winter than when it’s dark at 10PM in the summer. That means more accidential collisions of wildlife with vehicles. It is thought that around 69% of owls are nocturnally active, and 22% are crepuscular (dawn/dusk).
Scanning ahead for animals helps you to see them before they are in your path, especially along open and forested areas where owls may be hunting. Resist throwing food out of the car along the roads. It draws prey animals to the side of the road, which in turn brings these predators, increasing their chances of getting hit by cars.
