at 6. a handful of snowy owls make an appearance in western new york every winter. but seeing them is rare. now one wildlife volunteer is doing everything in her power to save one snowy owl's life. marianne hites
is putting her own time into helping the rare owl. news four's marissa perlman has the story, marissa. snowy the owl is tough- at least thats what his caregiver says about him: he survived for more than a week with a broken wing before he was found on a
rural road in cattaraugus county. ...nursed back to health- just in time. ((he's a survivor he's a survivor and hes going to make it)) snowy, as she calls him, hungry and sick, may not have lived much longer if a law enforcement officer hadn't
brought him to rehab volunteer- marianne hites: ((i got the phone call actually from the d-e-c saying there was a snowy down)) the bones in his wing - were broken, and had become infected. likely hit by a car: ((i knew that i was dealing with
something that needed vet attention right away)) he was suffering from severe dehydration and kidney failure, and he needed to be stabilized for several days before surgery to insert pins into his right wing. ((in addition to the surgery the
open injury on the wing had been there they estimated at least a week )) with extra fluids, antiobiotics and a little t-l-c the open wound healed, and by eating five extra large mice a day, he gained a pound and a half. ((he's our miracle bird he
decided on his own that he was going to make it through it)) area students even held fundraisers to help with the high cost of surgery but - for hites, the most amazing moment? seeing him fly ((to see him just full wing span able to cut the corners no
problem whatsoever and land was an incredible sight )) and now that he's nursed back to health- its time to let him go: ((you look at this bird and you know he belongs in the wild- its a good feeling to let them go they're special they're very special ))
hites works with messinger woods wildlife care and got the "ok" to release snowy so he can return to the arctic tundra on wednesday. the d-e-c will place a band on his leg so he can be tracked after he is released. if you'd like to help with a fundraising effort to help birds