Burrowing owl rescued from glue trap in Florida
By Nicole Kikkert
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SANIBEL, Florida (WBBH) — A burrowing owl stuck in a glue trap was rescued, rehabilitated, and released back into the wild by the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) on Sanibel Island.
CROW staff described the animal in the situation as lucky, noting the bird had no major injuries.
“It’s really horrifying. I mean, to be honest, it’s kind of the more emotional parts of the job is seeing the animals in that level of distress,” said a CROW representative.
The rescue began with an emergency call to CROW about the owl, which had been found stuck in a glue trap and unable to move.
“Somebody just happened to find it. That was on this trap, and, thank goodness, they recognized that that is an emergency,” said Amber Strassler, a staff member at CROW.
Strassler explained that these incidents are common, so the clinic keeps “glue go kits” on hand to handle such cases. The adult owl was sedated and underwent two rounds of specialized baths to remove the glue. After nine days of care, the bird was released back into the wild.
Tracy Sanders, an owl advocate who has rescued many burrowing owls from glue traps, described the distress these animals experience.
“It’s unfortunate because they don’t understand what’s happening to them. So they just keep struggling to try to get free,” Sanders said.
Wildlife officers noted that while glue traps are currently legal outdoors, new rules banning outdoor glue traps will take effect on Dec. 31 to promote humane treatment of wildlife.
CROW advises the public not to touch or attempt to remove animals stuck in traps, as doing so could cause further harm.
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