NEW YORK – A tiny owl found in the branches of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been released and returned home to the wild.
The Ravensbeard Wildlife Center released the owl, which was nicknamed Rockefeller or Rocky, Tuesday to the coniferous forest in upstate New York after veterinarians spent days caring for the starving and dehydrated creature. The Hudson Valley sanctuary initially said that Rocky was a male owl because he weighed less than a typical female, but in reality, the owl was a female who was underweight.
“Rocky’s release was a success! She is a strong bird and we are happy to see her back in the wild. She will feel his love and support during her journey south,” they wrote at the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center.
Look here at the moment of liberation:
“When we picked up Rocky, she was struggling,” Ravensbeard Wildlife Center director and founder Ellen Kalish said in a news release. “We think it had been about three days since he ate or drank anything.”
The keepers gave the owl liquids and fed it all the mice it could eat after it was discovered by a worker last week when he was setting up the Christmas tree in Manhattan, Kalish said.
“It’s almost as if Rocky’s tenacity represents the strength we’ve all been trying to display during this difficult year.”
