B.C. breeding program takes 'monumental step' by releasing 3 endangered owls into the wild

Three northern spotted owls that were born and raised in a B.C. breeding facility were released into the wild, in what the province is describing as a "monumental step forward" for the critically endangered species.

The Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship made the announcement Friday, although the birds were released into a protected habitat in the Fraser Canyon in August. Prior to their release, there was only one known spotted owl left in the wild in B.C.

"The transition from a small group of spotted owls in a distinctly designed breeding facility to a healthy wild population is a long-term process, with an unknown success rate. However, the release of these three birds is a significant step toward an eventual self-sustaining population," a statement from the province said, calling the development a "historic milestone."

The initiative is a collaboration between the Spotted Owl Breeding and Release Program and the Spuzzum First Nation, with Chief James Hobart playing a leadership role.

"What I was most proud of is that we're not sitting here doing nothing, we're doing something. If we make a mistake, we are making a mistake falling forward. I am most excited about hearing back a year from now, or even two months from now, the sounds our SkelúleɁ’s calling in their own woods and realizing they have found their way home, have found themselves," Hobart wrote in a statement.

"Our sky relatives knew our songs, our drums, our traditions. Their ancestral spirits will remember Spô’zêm peoples as their land stewards. That is what will excite me. When that next step happens, it will be truly beautiful.”

The three birds were gradually introduced into protected forests where the last-known wild spotted owl was identified. First, they were moved to aviaries where they were fed by program staff. Once they had acclimatized, the cage doors were opened so they could hunt for food. Only when staff were confident the owls could capture enough prey to survive on their own, that there were no wildfires burning in the area, and that there were no competing owls present were they released fully.

Currently, 30 owls remain in the breeding facility which is the only one of its kind in the world. The protected habitat in the Fraser Canyon has the capacity so sustain a population of 250. Long-term, the program is hoping to release as many as 20 owls each year, but meeting that goal will depend on continued success both breeding and releasing the owls.

"Seeing the three owls released into the wild has truly been a ‘full circle’ moment for the team," Jasmine McCulligh, the program's facility co-ordinator wrote.

"Witnessing the owls’ first heartbeats, caring for them as they grew from tiny embryos into adults, and watching them fly freely in the forest has been an incredibly rewarding experience.”