Rescued owl “Owlfred” is released back into the wild

A Fort Benton family gained an unexpected friend last winter when an injured great horned owl showed up on their doorstep. Months later, they released the healthy owl back to their home and the skies.

Pam Mann came home during a January snowstorm to find an injured owl in her front yard. She was initially afraid of the owl and didn't want to touch or move it, so she started calling people who might be able to help the bird.

Meanwhile, the bird made its way into the enclosed porch, crawling with its wings and beak.

Pam explains, “He had obviously been watching me go in and out of my porch door, which is unlocked. And he was halfway on the porch, so there was no way to close the door except to just open it. And he went in.”

Jason Mann

Pam's husband Jason is a teacher at Highwood and says the children were immediately fascinated when they heard about the owl and even gave it a name: “Owlfred.”

Jason says, “I told my students about it and they were really keen to learn more about owls in general, especially great horned owls. So I took a photo, brought it to school and showed it to my students the next day and they were emotionally invested in the welfare of this owl. They took some wonderful pictures of Owlfred and are constantly wanting to read about owls and learn more about different species. And suddenly we have some amateur ornithologists there at school.”

Due to weather conditions, Owlfred remained in the Manns' care for a week before Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks could pick him up.

During the week that Owlfred stayed on the Manns' enclosed porch, he spent most of his time hiding under furniture. They gave him a whole chicken to eat, which he pecked at for days, and slowly he seemed to get stronger.

After a week, Owlfred was picked up and taken to Montana WILD's wildlife center in Helena, where dozens of animals are rehabilitated each year.

The veterinarian determined that the owl had suffered some sort of spinal cord injury. Based on the location where it was found, the Manns believe it may have been electrocuted by nearby power lines. At the wildlife center, Owlfred received care and physical therapy to treat his injuries.

While Owlfred was in Helena, the Manns, and by extension the students, received regular updates on his progress. About seven months later, they finally received the call that he was ready to be discharged and drove to Helena to pick him up.

Pam says: “If they can release them, they want to take them home to their territory where they were found, because that's what they know. He knew exactly where he was and flew straight into a tree. It gave you goosebumps watching him, he just thought, 'Yep, I'm home.'”

Students were able to watch the video of Owlfred's return as soon as the school year began this year.

Jason says, “The first day I returned to school, many children came up to me and asked about Owlfred. I was so happy to be able to show them the video of the release. There was great joy and jubilation in the school hallway.”

Owls are monogamous and hope that Owlfred will be reunited with his mate. Owls also call to mark their territory. Pam and Jason say they look around hoping to catch a glimpse of Owlfred and listen closely for a call.

Look for Owlfred at Fort Benton. For more information about Montana WILD's wildlife refuge, click here.