Vets share sad update on owl rescued by KTLA meteorologist

A beautiful but injured barn owl that KTLA 5 meteorologist Henry DiCarlo helped rescue from the side of a road in Orange County has unfortunately been euthanized.

Henry was driving to work early in the morning on July 18 when he noticed the owl standing along the Gypsum Canyon Bridge over the 91 Freeway in Yorba Linda. He pulled over and called the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

A short time later, a deputy arrived, placed the owl in a ventilated Tupperware container and transported it to OC Animal Care. The bird eventually ended up at the Serrano Animal and Bird Hospital in Lake Forest, which shared the sad development on Monday.

“I’m sorry to report that the barn owl Henry found had a significant joint fracture that would prevent the bird from returning to normal/adequate flight capability,” veterinarians said. “Due to the age and temperament of the bird, it would not do well in an education center such as a zoo or sanctuary, and it would be unfair to keep the animal in captivity under such stressful conditions.”

The animal hospital said the owl’s strong wild instincts meant it would not adapt to the stress of daily human contact, so it was “humanely euthanized.”

According to the nonprofit Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife , barn owls are among three owl species native to L.A. Each can consume over 3,000 rodents a year and are widely used for rodent control in vineyards, farms and ranches around the world, the organization said.

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