🦉 Peek-a-boo 🦉
We do our best not to interact with baby chicks in our care to keep them from imprinting or socializing to humans but we do have to weigh them on a consistent basis and check for health. To do this, we use what we call “burritos” or wraps to secure them while weighing. You can tell that this owlet was not thrilled about the process.
Cute! A little scary LOL with that intense eye-contact… But cute!
Owls are not known for being able to dial it back. 😜
This reminds me of the stray cat that we adopted through a cat centre. Whenever we needed to take her to the vet or clip her nails we had to catch her in a towel because she got scared with more than one hand petting her and would shred our hands if we put forth two.
Now she’s the derpiest, most attention seeking void who demands to snuggle up to us whenever she doesn’t feel like sleeping under the couch.
I completely understand that the burrito bowl is to get them and us safe, but I imagine it must be difficult not to pet or give scritches to those adorable feathered raptors.
Oh, I’ve been there with the kitties! Almost all my cats have been semi-feral adoptees. We reached a truce where if they wouldn’t scratch, they wouldn’t have to get clipped.
I’ve seen some wicked photos of talon stabs. Even the unintentional ones are pretty deep. The grip isn’t to be ignored either. A Great Horned Owl can clamp down harder than a pitbull can clench its jaws. I suppose one day I will get my “rite of passage” if I keep hanging out with raptors. 🩹
