For owls that are superb.
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US Wild Animal Rescue Database: Animal Help Now
International Wildlife Rescues: RescueShelter.com
Australia Rescue Help: WIRES
Germany-Austria-Switzerland-Italy Wild Bird Rescue: wildvogelhilfe.org
If you find an injured owl:
Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.
Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.
Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.
If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.
For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.
Community Rules:
Posts must be about owls. Especially appreciated are photographs (not AI) and scientific content, but artwork, articles, news stories, personal experiences and more are welcome too.
Be kind. If a post or comment bothers you, or strikes you as offensive in any way, please report it and moderators will take appropriate action.
AI is discouraged. If you feel strongly that the community would benefit from a post that involves AI you may submit it, but it might be removed if the moderators feel that it is low-effort or irrelevant.
Also visit our twinned community for wholesome content:
From Napromieniowani.pl
A tawny owl photographed in the window of an abandoned building in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. This is the most numerous owl species in Europe. The difference is that in Chernobyl, as in a reserve, no one disturbs them.
Photo: Olena Gryszczenko
Source: Chernobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve
Scientists, not ones to waste anything, have found tons of things to study in the huge contaminated area, so danger zones are very well documented as they study the residual contamination and its effects.
There were tours anyone could take up until the war in Ukraine. One tour website stated there were 8 safe routes to explore with a licensed guide. The radiation exposure of the tour area for the permitted duration was said to be the same as a long flight. The main guidelines said don't touch or eat anything and to preferably wear disposable clothing and footwear to avoid prolonged contact from anything potentially carried out with you.