We all love a nice spa break sometimes. There’s nothing more relaxing than enjoying a good massage in a fragrant room to help us get rid of all the tensions. However, in this rescue owl’s eyes, spa treatments are absolutely not that desirable.
The morepork owl was taken in by Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery in New Zealand not long ago. Given that he was suffering from some bacteria on his skin, the staff at the rehabilitation center decided to give him a bubble bath so he could recover faster. According to supervisor Pauline Nijman, they really tried their best in hope that their little patient would be able to get back to the wild as soon as possible.
“We washed him with a medical soap that surgeons use on their hands, so it kills bacteria,” she said. “I gave him a wash, like I would do for an oiled bird, focusing on the skin. We wash them in a bath at 40 degrees because that’s their body temperature and after that he has a nice wee shower to get rid of all the soap suds of his feathers.”
The funny thing is, the owl looked totally unimpressed. He didn’t seem to be very happy about the luxurious spa treatment that he just received. Maybe it’s because the water ruined his beautiful coat.
“There’s literally nothing to them, they’re all fluff. They only weigh about 80g, they are ridiculously small, but they have the attitude of a 600kg animal,” Nijman continued.
“They’re hilarious to work with because they have so much attitude – they click and stand-up and posture, and try and tell you they are the biggest and most ferocious animal you will ever come across,” she said.
Mind you, by the time the owl's spa day was over and his feathers were dry again, it did look rather gorgeous!
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