Massey Wildbase Animal Hospital in New Zealand recently received a new furry patient – a small owl called a morepork. He came down with a mild skin infection that was causing him irritation.
Fortunately for the little owl, dealing with this problem is relatively easy. But there was one drawback.
He will need to take a bath.
According to Pauline Nijman, head of Wildbase, owls don’t like to be wet, even in the rain. So when it came time for this owl to give her a medicinal bubble bath, Nijman knew in advance that he probably wouldn’t consider it pampering.
“It was a big deal for both of us,” Nijman told The Dodo.
Photos taken during the process show an owl who is not at all happy.
It turns out that the majestic appearance of the owl is largely due to the splendor of its plumage. Getting wet changes their appearance quite dramatically.
“He’s a small kid, but he’s in lovely condition,” Nijman said.. “[Although] when all the fluff is wet, they look terribly pathetic!”
The owl was washed with chlorhexidine to eliminate the infection and then rinsed. “He was NOT happy,” Nijman wrote.
Afterward, Neumann patted it dry with a towel and placed it under a fan to dry it completely.
It dried out pretty well!” Nijman said.
Returning to his former furry self, the rescued owl was returned to the clinic’s enclosure, where he was joined by several other pigs undergoing rehabilitation there.
“He recovered well from his ordeal,” Nijman said.
If you’re lucky, just one therapeutic bubble bath will be enough to solve your owl’s skin problem. If so, he will be released back into the wild, good as new.
Massey Wildbase cares for hundreds of animals a year, many of which are endangered. But while the life-saving treatments offered there, such as the little owl’s bath, aren’t always pleasant, Nijmanknows it’s all about helping them get back to health. And this is the most important thing.
“I am honored to care for such amazing birds and reptiles,” Nijman said.
H/T: The Dodo
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