Last month, a Colorado resident reported the sighting of an injured great horned owl on a local playground, according to the Denver Gazette. Wildlife authorities were able to successfully capture the owl and send it to a wildlife rehabilitation center in Del Norte, Colorado.
As the Denver Gazette reported, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers trekked out to a neighborhood playground located west of Durango on Jan. 7 to respond to a local owl sighting.
The CPW Southwest Region (@CPW_SW) shared a picture of the owl on X, which shows the bird perched atop the edge of a playground bench in the middle of the day.
Let's end this week with some positivity with a wildlife rescue.
— CPW SW Region (@CPW_SW) January 9, 2026
This one hit close to home for our Public Information Officer. A neighbor texted Wednesday afternoon about an owl on the ground in the neighborhood's playground west of Durango. So, we went and checked it out. pic.twitter.com/zE770qj268
Like most owls, great horned owls generally hunt at night, or are active during dusk and dawn, according to the National Audubon Society, making this a highly unusual sighting.
When officers approached the great horned owl, the bird tried to escape, but it ultimately failed to fly away. The officers observed some cuts to one of the bird's legs and an overwhelming stench of skunk spray.
According to the Denver Gazette, CPW assistant area wildlife manager, Steve McClung, grabbed the owl. The injured bird was then brought to the Durango Animal Hospital, where staff assessed the owl.
On top of the owl's initial injuries, staff observed that the owl was dehydrated, noticeably skinny, and physically injured on its left shoulder.
The owl was transported to CPW's Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility in Del Norte for rehabilitation and flight conditioning.
"Rest up and eat well, big guy," CPWSW wished on a social media post, per the Denver Gazette.
Fortunately, the neighbor's quick thinking and initiative helped authorities swiftly capture the injured bird and send it to wildlife experts for treatment.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 Another great horned owl was rescued last month from the front grille of a car in Santa Barbara County, California. Firefighters freed the bird and transported the owl to a nearby wildlife care center where staff evaluated and treated the wild bird for its injuries.
If you come across injured wildlife, make sure to keep a safe distance from the animal, and call a local or state wildlife agency to help rescue the wildlife.
"Thank you … for helping us in our effort to give injured wildlife a second chance," CPWSW wrote on the social media post, per the Denver Gazette.
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