This is Oz. (Hebrew for Strength / courage) Oz is a long eared owl. This species of owls is considered threatened in Pennsylvania.
Long eared owls have such acute hearing they can catch prey in complete darkness. They also roost in large numbers in the winter which can make them easier to spot.
These owls have a vocalization that mimics a bark and their facial expression always appears surprised. They have long ear tufts that look like exclamation points but are actually an adaptation that helps them to blend into trees to camouflage. These tufts aren't ears at all. Owls' ears are located on the sides of their heads, behind their eyes.
Unfortunately Oz has a pretty significant fracture. He will be joining Spirit for a road trip to Radnor Veterinary Hospital today. if anyone can perform miracles it's Dr. Len Donato and his staff! Please send Oz lots of love and light.
Update: 0z made it through surgery 🥰
Hopefully the external fixator stays put.
Indeed there is! Link
They will be very grateful, I'm sure!
I had been thinking about asking if anyone thought the prize should go to a specific rehab this year. Last year it was a last minute thing, so I donated on Lemmy's behalf to my local rehab, but as we've had over a year getting to see some of the work these people do, if anyone stood out to you guys, I'd be happy to donate to someone who had a great impact on our community. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm happy to hear them, but I will also put up the idea when I formally start announcing the tournament in the next week or so.
Looking forward to it!