Three rescued burrowing owls were reintroduced into the wild after being rehabilitated by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) in San Diego, Calif., and San Diego Humane Society’s Project Wildlife.

The owls were found last year by SDZWA researchers at two separate nests. Their parents had gone missing and the young owls were not expected to survive on their own. Their reintroduction is significant as the species is at risk of becoming locally extinct. 

The owls were brought to Project Wildlife where they stayed for a few months receiving treatment for malnourishment, dehydration, and parasites. The owls were then brought to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park where they were headstarted—a conservation technique that allows wildlife to grow beyond their most vulnerable stage in human care before being introduced into the wild. 

The owls were put into temporary aviaries on protected habitat where they will spend about a month acclimating to their surroundings—grasslands carefully managed by the San Diego Habitat Conservancy to ensure the survival of local wildlife. SDZWA continues to monitor burrowing owl populations as part of its robust conservation breeding and reintroduction program for the species.

Photos Credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance