After being hit by a pickup truck three weeks ago, one little barred owl earned the name "Lucky" after he was released back into the wild on Saturday.
- Firefighters expected to remove an owl's body from pickup; discover it was alive
- Lucky the Owl's tibia healed and was released to the wild after 3 weeks of care
Laura McQuilkin struck the feathery nighttime bird with her Dodge pickup truck in December. When Lake County Fire Rescue Lt. Robert Staab and firefighter Brian Tindell arrived to the location where McQuilkin parked her vehicle, they expected to find a dead owl.
Laura McQuilkin, who accidentally hit the owl, had the honor of releasing "Lucky" back into the wild in Mount Dora today. pic.twitter.com/D8m5ZBUXNz
— Lake Co Fire Rescue (@LakeFirePIO) January 22, 2017
"We expected more of a body removal than a rescue. We got there, took a flashlight and looked at the front of the truck and there he was looking back at us," said Staab in a press release.
Using a jacket, firefighters wrapped up Lucky and brought him to the Avian Rehabilitation Center in Apopka.
After weeks of care, Lucky's tibia was healed and was able to return home to the wild.
McQuilkin joined the firefighters and the rehabilitation team and released Lucky at Gilbert Park in Mount Dora.
"I'm excited beyond words. He's just such a beautiful owl. I'm so happy he's ok," McQuilkin said.