Tawny owlet snuggles up with soft toys at Suffolk Owl Sanctuary

A tiny tawny owl has been making furry friends with some soft toys after being taken in at a rescue centre.

The first owlet of the year was taken in at Suffolk Owl Sanctuary last week, and has already been settling in as it is nursed back to health.

"This little one was brought to us via Jo at Wildlife Rescue Service," said the sanctuary on Facebook. "It was found on the ground, cold and damp, and they feared it might not survive."

"After being gently warmed and receiving some species appropriate food, Jo asked if we could take over.

"As we only have the one owlet in at the moment, we have provided some surrogate siblings (in the form of soft toys) for them to snuggle up to for comfort and warmth."

Accompanying the post was a picture of the fluffy owlet on a towel next to a couple of furry soft toys.

The sanctuary also offered advice to anyone who finds a tawny owlet on the ground, advising them only to intervene if the bird is in danger, for example from cats or cars.

"Tawny owl babies are sometimes called branchers because they hop between the branchers before they are fully feathered, which sometimes results in an unplanned grounding.

"The owl mothers know that their offspring will fall to the ground and will continue to feed them if they can't climb back up.

"Please do not attempt to look after the owlet yourself, as they require specialist care and food to ensure that they can be successfully released back into the wild once fully grown."

If the young bird is not in danger, passers-by should monitor it from a distance and call the sanctuary for advice on 03456 807 897.

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