Great horned owl missing after break-in at Baraboo Ochsner Park Zoo
At the very least a person fantastic horned owl is nevertheless missing after an unique or group broke into Baraboo’s Ochsner Park Zoo before this week and released multiple animals, in accordance to authorities.
On either Monday night or Tuesday early morning, a individual or people cut all of the padlocks on the exterior gates of the zoo and entered, Baraboo Police Main Rob Sinden said.
About 60 animals of 30 different species reside at the free of charge-admission zoo, which opened in 1926, in accordance to Mike Hardy, Baraboo’s parks, recreation and forestry director.
As soon as inside, the culprit slash off among 15 and 20 padlocks on animals’ enclosures and also propped doorways open, Sinden said.
“It was a crystal clear intent to consider to stir those people animals or launch animals,” Sinden said.
Sinden believes releasing animals was the objective, not economical attain, he included.
They were unsuccessful at opening “any hazardous animal cages,” but did attempt entry into a bear cage, Sinden said.
“Thank goodness that they have been not equipped to open that door,” he stated. “That could have been exceptionally dangerous for individuals in our local community.”
When the monkey exhibit was opened, the monkeys did not depart, Hardy mentioned. The person(s) also kicked in a fence panel to in which the goats and pigs stay.
4 animals still left the premises: two otters and two excellent horned owls.
“They’re not made use of to currently being out,” Sinden explained.
Qualified treatment and owning somebody feed them is all they know, he explained.
On Tuesday afternoon, the two missing otters had been found together by a kayaker subsequent to the nearby Baraboo River’s riverbank.
“They were discovered to be satisfied and balanced,” Sinden mentioned.
On Thursday early morning, what appears to be one of the lacking owls was recaptured, in accordance to Hardy.
Veterinarian employees are working to validate the animal’s id and are examining for any injuries, he said in an electronic mail. But zookeepers are “fairly self-assured” it is one particular of the lacking owls.
The continue to-lacking owl has no bodily marking or tag that would make visible identification easy, Hardy said in an e-mail. Behavior would be the best way to ID it.
“We count on they will not vacation far from the zoo in the beginning, as the place about the zoo is wooded in addition to their only recognised food supply has been in the zoo,” Hardy reported.
Though the owl does have the bodily capability to hunt, it has by no means experienced to master how to, he spelled out, so it could turn into weak and commit additional time on the ground.
“Furthermore, as they are imprinted, they will very likely be additional made use of to human action and could be much less possible to fly away upon viewing individuals close by,” he mentioned.
Sinden urged people who may possibly location the lacking owl to not to approach it by themselves. Rather, make contact with the Baraboo Law enforcement Division at 608-356-4895.
“We have the zoo experts on stand-by,” he mentioned.
Ochsner — which has an annual attendance of about 48,000 people today — depends on donations to care for the animals, Hardy stated in an e-mail. Summer season several hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. day by day.
The zoo was closed for “investigation functions” on Tuesday and reopened Wednesday.
Get hold of Hannah Kirby at [email protected]. Stick to her on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby.
