She did it for love: Rare wild owl tries burrowing into Manitoba enclosure to find mate
Researcher says fewer than 5 pairs of burrowing owls left in wild; Manitoba population nearing extirpation
CBC News · Posted: Jun 06, 2018
With files from Janice Grant and Aidan Geary
A small, tenacious owl discovered trying to worm its way into a captive male's enclosure last weekend has found a love connection researchers hope will result in much-needed burrowing owl chicks.
A field assistant with the Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery Program was doing a regular check on the program's five captive mating pairs on Sunday when she spotted the wild little owl, apparently doggedly interested in getting inside one of the pens.
"She was trying to push through [chicken wire] with her head, which she wasn't able to do, and then she was digging at the outside of the pen as well. She was using her talons to sort of dig underneath — it wasn't doing too much," said Alex Froese, the program director.
"She was very, very eager and very interested in getting into this pen."