Two Close Calls: One For Plane Passengers, The Other An Owl

Mariposa, CA — Two scary situations, one involving a plane and the other, an owl, ended with no loss of life this week.

On Friday (8/30), a call went out to Mariposa County Sheriff’s deputies to head to the Mariposa-Yosemite Airport at 5020 Macready Way off Highway 49 in the Mt. Bullion area west of Mariposa for a possible plane crash. Once on scene, deputies located the unidentified aircraft in long grass off the runway. Luckily, the pilot and his passenger were not injured in the crash. The investigation is being turned over to the FAA.

That same morning, a Great Horned Owl was saved by a San Andreas CHP Unit Officer after being hit by a car on Highway 4 in the Angels Camp area of Calaveras County. The CHP reports that when Officer Valencia arrived on the scene, he found the hurt owl and was able to use an emergency blanket to safely secure the owl and put it into an animal carry cage. The owl nicknamed “Toby” was taken for treatment with help from Tri County Wildlife Care for treatment of head trauma with blood in the mouth and a swollen eye. Toby is smaller at two pounds but doing much better and is gulping down whole small mice, according to care staff. Wildlife officials give these facts about Great Horned Owls:

• Female owls are about 20% larger than males with a wingspan of 3-4 1/2 feet, and the talons have incredible grip strength.
• The owl is known for its ability to turn its head 270 degrees, as their eyes do not move.
• These birds mate for life and are fiercely territorial, not allowing other Great Horned Owls nearby.

“Our goal is to get this boy back up in the sky as soon as he is well.  Their favorite food is rodents, so we ask that you please do not use poisons, which could kill these birds too,” advised Tri County Wildlife Care officials.

The CHP added that this is a “great example of allied partnerships and the community working together to rescue the owl.”