Mixed news on owl family

Sad and promising news about the owl family that attracted attention in the campus community emerged this week.

The father of the two owlets residing in the Willow Woods area of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve was found dead on the ground below the owls’ nest tree on Saturday, April 3 by Chris Olsen of the School of Veterinary Medicine.

DNR veterinarian Julia Langenberg says it is possible the bird died of an undetermined infection.

“The good news is that the remaining members of the family are all looking really good,” says Langenberg. “With only one parent now, the young owls are far enough along in their development as long as mom can keep up with their care and feeding.”