August 2008: This is my husband holding Frosty, a barred owl who was injured by a car and now permanently lives at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. He cannot fly, and according to the Aquarium's volunteer website, if they had not taken him in he would have been euthanized. We were given a special private meeting with him, and his trainer advised us to let him cuddle up to us--it makes him more comfortable. An owl that likes to cuddle? We didn't believe it either, until we saw it happen! (My apologies for the background noise/chatting from the other aquarium visitors.)
DISCLAIMER: I do not have any more information on Frosty than what I have already shared, and I regret that I have only met him once. Don't cuddle wild owls, folks. Not unless you're a fan of painful lacerations. Don't cuddle "tame" owls, either, unless their handler specifically tells you that it is safe, which is highly unlikely: Frosty is a very special case! Owls are NOT normally like this, and it is with good reason that there are laws prohibiting the keeping of owls as pets. The Aquarium is by no means a substitute for the natural environment and lifestyle for an owl, and we can only hope that Frosty's presence there impresses visitors with appropriate knowledge on the subject, so that fewer animals may end up harmed by human actions. It may not be completely possible to prevent an owl from flying into the path of an oncoming car--but when you look into Frosty's eyes, you should at least be moved to care.
