CROW rehabilitates Barred owl believed to be injured by vehicle strike

SANIBEL, Fla.—The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife announced the recent rehabilitation of a Barred owl, suspected to have been injured by a vehicle strike.

The owl, designated patient 26-128, may unfortunately have been temporarily blinded due to its injuries.  

CROW consulted with a veterinary ophthalmologist who confirmed the ow’s eyes were not damaged.

In a post on CROW's Facebook account, the owl could have had either peripheral or central blindness. 

Peripheral blindness occurs when there’s direct damage to the eyes and retina, and it is often permanent. 

Central blindness occurs when trauma prevents the brain from properly processing visual information. Head trauma can result in brain swelling, which may subsequently lead to central blindness.

The veterinary ophthalmologist confirmed the owl’s eyes were not damaged, which supports the central blindness diagnosis.

CROW says the owl is slowly responding to visual cues, and its vision is showing some improvement.