A Wise Pest Pro and Owlgood
Allen Radford, a service pro for a large pest control company was having a typical day providing excellent customer care in the Sandersville nuisance/Tennille area. As he was making his way to the next customer he passed a barred owl standing right next to the highway. Many would have kept on driving- not Allen. Knowing this behavior would be odd for an owl, he turned around to check on him. While approaching the owl he noticed blood running down the edge of his beak. He knew the bird would not live long unless he sought help immediately.
Allen knew the company he worked for had recently launched into the wildlife business and thought I could point him the right direction for help. As it would happen, I had just stumbled across a list of wildlife rehabilitators on the Department of Natural Resources wildlife website just days earlier. Wildlife Rehabilitators help care for sick and injured wildlife. We contacted a dedicated individual named Lynn Schlup of Mockingbird Hill Wildlife Rehab Center. Unfortunately, her message machine picked up, so I wasn’t able to speak to her immediately.
Allen seemed excited when I called back for an update- a Good Samaritan stopped to see if Allen was having vehicle problems. This gentleman, Bobby Strange, actually lives next door to Mockingbird Hill Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and knew Lynn well. He took the owl and made Lynn aware of the bird’s fate.
Turns out our rehab lady, Lynn, is a cop by day with the Sandersville Police Department. Over the next several days she kept me updated on Owlgood’s condition. Even though Owlgood had a head injury, she felt the owl might pull through. Only time would tell.
Over the next several days I called to check on our feathered friend. Each report sounded better. Lynn spent over a month nursing Owlgood back to full health. She did released him back to the wild, but he has decided to make Mockingbird Hill Rehab home for now. This was confirmed during a recent phone call when I had a chance to hear Owlgood’s hoot. Should you see a barred owl with the familiar Allgood ring and halo logo on its wings, you’ll know the story about his blessed day when Alan Radford cared enough to come to his rescue.
For more information about wildlife rehabilitation you may call Lynn Schlup at 478-552-1119. Mockingbird Hill Rehab Center serves wildlife rehab needs for the Washington County area. They are located at 2101 Hwy. 272, just outside Oconee, Ga. For a complete statewide list of rehabilitators please contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources at 770-761-3044.
