SPOTTED OWL MARKS 20 YEARS AT WILDCARE

Twenty years ago, a wide-eyed, still-fluffy northern spotted owl arrived at WildCare with an injured wing. She had fallen from her nest during the “branching” phase — a risky stage in young raptors’ lives when they begin hopping and flapping among tree limbs, testing their wings before they’re truly ready to fly. The fall from the canopy ended in a damaged patagialis longus tendon in her left wing. By the time she reached WildCare, the tendon was too dry to repair. The injury didn’t ground her completely — she could still fly. But her silent flight, an adaptation that allows owls to hunt undetected, was compromised. In a dense, reverberating redwood canopy, that loss meant her prey would always hear her approach. Knowing she could never survive in the wild, WildCare gave her a new role as a wildlife ambassador and named her Sequoia to remind everyone who meets her of the towering trees of her native forest.
“Through Sequoia’s story, people have come to appreciate the fragile majesty of redwood forest ecosystems and the diverse species that call them home,” said Alison Hermance, director of communications at WildCare. “Sequoia has many fans and friends who visit her at WildCare’s Ambassador Zone and enjoy meeting her ‘on the glove’ at WildCare events. She has truly made a difference for wildlife, and we are so lucky to have her at WildCare.”

Sequoia and WildCare’s other wildlife ambassadors can be visited in person Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit discoverwildcare.org.