Arizona staff releases orphaned great horned owls back into wild

PHOENIX — Four great horned owls who were orphaned in the spring and taken in by wildlife experts, were released back into the wild this week near Buckeye.

The birds were bid goodbye at Robbins Butte Wildlife Area in Arlington, Arizona.

The owls were orphaned when their mother was shot by a superstitious homeowner who believed that owls are evil.

An anonymous tip to the Arizona Game and Fish Department led to the owlets’ rescue in March. The man who shot the mother owl was cited for killing the federally protected bird.

Liberty Wildlife, a nonprofit that specializes in rehabilitating sick or injured wildlife, stepped in after the call to provide the baby owls with a foster mother and proper nutrition.