This Obese Owl Had To Lose Weight To Fly

When one owl was rescued and brought to Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, they thought she was injured, but it turns out that the bird was too obese to fly! As a result, they had to put her through an owl-friendly weight loss program.

This Owl Had To Lose Weight To Fly
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This Owl Had To Lose Weight To Fly

You would think that weight loss programs are mostly for humans, and the occasional dog and cat, but never for an owl! Can you even imagine an obese owl? We couldn’t—until now.

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One poor owl was brought to Suffolk Owl Sanctuary after being rescued by a landowner. At first, examiners thought the owl was injured, but it turns out that she was just too fat.

This soggy little owl was found in a ditch a few weeks ago. Usually in these instances we assume injury of sorts that is...

Posted by Suffolk Owl Sanctuary on Wednesday, January 29, 2020

As a result, the owl couldn’t fly! So what did she have to do? Well, the bird had to go on a super strict diet to lose some weight. You can’t survive predators without being able to fly!

After the strict diet, the owl went from weighing a whopping 245 grams to losing 20 to 30 grams. Can we go on this owl’s diet?! Anyways, the bird is now a more normal weight.

The sanctuary commented on the owl’s weight. They said that she was 'extremely unusual for wild birds to get into this condition naturally.' But Rufus Samkin, head falconer, believes that the owl just “overindulged.

The head falconer talked more about the owl’s situation:

'Where she was found is very productive land, and it's been a mild winter and there's a lot of food around - voles, mice.'

The owl clearly knows how to fend for herself! Hopefully, she can keep the weight off, so she can fly around and escape potential predators. Want to see photos of the owl? Feel free to check out our video!

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