Wildlife rescuers in the Illinois town of Wayne helped give an injured owl a second chance at life.
A snowy owl recovering the past two months was released Monday morning in the Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve.
The owl suffered a fractured collar bone and ribs along with a damaged eye after the bird was hit by an SUV in November. The owl was wedged into the grill of the truck, and the man driving the vehicle didn't realize the bird was there until he arrived at his job.
The owl was transported to the Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn and spent two months recuperating in the Raptor Flight Facility. The circular shaped building helped the animal strengthen its wings, and the natural elements inside mimicked the bird's habitat.
The snowy white owl flew away beating the odds with a fully healed body and two functioning eyes, Willowbrook Wildlife Center representatives said.
Willowbrook takes in at least 8,000 animals a year. The facility tries to release all of them but some are declared not eligible for release.
