An injured Little Owl left partially blind by a car crash will have a second chance at life in Christchurch as an 'advocacy bird' to teach children about wildlife.
Oscar the owl was given the all clear at South Island Wildlife Hospital last night despite a traumatic cataract in his left eye and damage to his right eye. The bird has very limited vision and is completely unable to fend for himself in the wild.
South Canterbury woman and self-confessed 'crazy bird lady' Zena Guthrie nursed Oscar back to health over two weeks when the bird was discovered in a local chicken coop.
"He was very very sad looking, his eyes were completely shut and all gunked closed," she says.
"We tried normal eye drops and his eyes started to open, and he looked a lot happier and a lot brighter. Of course, he still can't see but he slowly got more energy and life into him."
Wildlife vet Dr Pauline Howard says Oscar is in "reasonable general health" despite the injury.
"He's been hit by a car so he's got a cataract in the left eye - so he's blind in the left eye - and he's got damage in the right eye but he can still see around it," she says.
"He can eat and he can fly, he just wouldn't be able to catch food by himself."
Oscar will now be trained at Canterbury Raptor Rescue and spend the rest of his life visiting schools.
Newshub.
