Fargo Officer rescues owl with broken wing

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - On the morning of Wednesday, March 15, FPD Community Service Officer (CSO) Aventi responded to an animal call at a north Fargo residence. When she arrived at the scene, she found a large great horned owl with a broken wing outside of the residence.

FPD does not normally handle wildlife related calls, instead they are typically referred to North Dakota Game and Fish. In this incident, CSO Aventi could see the animal was injured and needed immediate assistance, so she contacted Game and Fish to receive clearance from their department to remove the owl and arrange for veterinary care.

CSO Aventi waded through waist-high snow in an attempt to rescue the owl. As she approached the bird, he jumped down into a window well, so CSO Aventi returned to her vehicle to retrieve a net to safely recover him.

Once CSO Aventi was able to secure the owl in her van, she transferred him to Chahinkapa Zoo in Wahpeton — the closest permitted raptor rehabilitator to Fargo — for veterinary care for his broken wing. The owl had an identification band on his leg, which indicated he was born in early 2022 and came from the area of Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada.