SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A wildlife learning center with the goal of helping connect kids to the outdoor is now asking for the public's help in finding an escaped bird.
Staff with the West Valley Outdoor Learning Center are look for a Great Horned Owl "who" escaped the facility Saturday. According to a Facebook post from the center, the owl was reported missing around Pasadena Park Elementary near Argonne and Upriver Drive.
"We always call our owls the ambassadors of wildlife," said Jami Ostby Marsh, the education director at West Valley Outdoor Learning Center. "Unfortunately he was too close to a campground, Marcus Island near Lake Roosevelt, and people in the campground were actually feeding him.”
The owl, named Marcus, was wearing leather jesses, or straps, on his legs when he escaped. Ostby Marsh said he became too dependent on delivered meals from people at the campground, so he never learned to hunt. He's also imprinted on humans.
“So Marcus is actually educating people by being in the situation he’s gotten himself into because I feel people are looking harder at their backyards and looking for Marcus," Ostby Marsh said.
Anyone with information on the owl's whereabouts is encouraged to private message the center on social media or call (509) 922-5478.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com.
