“We wish them a long and happy rest of their life”
By Ashley Ortiz
Published on Feb 20, 2026 at 6:41 PM
There’s nothing rescuers love more than setting a healed wild animal free. But sometimes the best releases aren’t just about survival, they’re about connection. That’s exactly what happened at Raptor Education Group, Inc. (REGI) recently, when two rescued barred owls who started off as strangers returned to the wild as a family.
It all started in April 2025, when the folks at REGI received a frantic call from some local residents who’d discovered a young owl entangled in their barbed wire fence. The callers had stopped to help, but the poor guy was injured and needed specialized care.
“The landowners were horrified and acted quickly, cutting the wire, removing the owl from the fence, and racing him to REGI for care,” REGI wrote on Facebook.
The owl remained alert, but sadly his wing was severely injured. He soon arrived at REGI, where a dedicated team of specialists sedated him in order to remove the rest of the barbed metal embedded in his wing. That’s when they realized just how young he was.
“The barred owl was a juvenile, likely hatched in February,” REGI wrote. “He was old enough to fly, but owlets in the wild stay with their parents, learning the ropes of hunting and life as a barred owl until October or November.”
It was yet another layer of heartbreak for the team. Not only were they worried that his injuries would prevent him from ever flying again, but they knew the poor baby was now an orphan without a family.
Despite the tragic setbacks, the young owl surprised his rescuers when he began flying again just a couple of months later. In the summertime, he graduated to a larger enclosure with other recovering barred owls, wwhere he met his new forever family member.
Exactly six months after the young owl’s rescue, REGI received a series of calls from multiple people, including the state of Wisconsin’s Highway Patrol and Marathon County Sheriff’s Office. They all reported finding an injured female barred owl on the road after being struck by a car — and she’d sadly lost her baby in the accident.
“The initial photos of the owl in the middle of the road on that October day were heartbreaking,” REGI wrote.
When she arrived at REGI, the owl received urgent care for a head injury and internal bleeding. And, against all odds, her rescuers were amazed by how well she recovered.
“Barred owls weigh between 1.5 and 1.75 [pounds]. Being hit by a [5,000-pound] vehicle, especially if it is speeding, usually has tragic consequences,” REGI wrote. “She had some complications; however, the bleeding stopped, she had no fractures, and her head injury healed better than expected.”
In December, the resilient mother owl graduated to the same large enclosure where the owl who’d survived the barbed wire fence lived.
The folks at REGI didn’t expect the two to form a special bond, as there were about 10 other owls in the same enclosure. But one day, when they went in for a routine checkup, they realized the mother owl had become protective of the barbed wire survivor.
“[The] beautiful female owl went into full protective mode and then put her wing around one of the younger owls,” REGI wrote. “I approached, and she clacked her beak at me. It was clear she had taken on the role of ‘mother’ to the young male, and he was in full compliance.”
The owls’ unique bond continued to blossom over time. so much so, that when they were both finally strong enough to return to the wild, their rescuers decided to set them free together. And that day turned out to be more joyous than they could have ever imagined.
“They were released together into the sunset near the female’s home territory. They vocalized to each other after they were released and then started their second chance at life together,” REGI wrote. “Notice in the release photo how the female is looking protectively at the young male even as they are about to be released.”
You can see pictures from their emotional release here:
A young orphaned owl befriending a bereaved, nurturing mother feels like a fairytale ending for the team at REGI and the animals’ initial rescuers, including state trooper Zack Freiberg and Ryan Purvis.
But for the duo of resilient owls, being released together is only the beginning.
“We wish them a long and happy rest of their life,” REGI wrote.
To help raptors like these owls get the care they need, you can donate to Rapture Education Group, Inc. here.