Snowy owl owlets haven’t hatched at the Woodland Park Zoo for nine years. Now, the Seattle zoo has a pair of teeny owlets in its midst.
The timing couldn’t be better for the Arctic-dwelling birds.
“Who says it can’t be snowy in August,” the zoo tweeted on Aug. 5.
Their mother, June and dad, Dusty, are first-time parents.
So far, they are doing a great job.
“Mom sits on the nest most of the time, a sign of good maternal care. The owlets are beginning to venture outside the nest, so visitors may have the chance to see them on the ground,” Kevin Murphy, an animal curator at the zoo said in a statement.
Who says it can’t be snowy in August? A pair of snowy owl chicks have hatched in their Northern Trail habitat—the first offspring for father Dusty and mother June. The last hatching of this species at our zoo was nine years ago. Get the full story at: https://t.co/NzVFijJ5yW pic.twitter.com/FfAFzEi14s
— Woodland Park Zoo (@woodlandparkzoo) August 5, 2020
The parents were paired as part of a species survival plan as the population of snowy owls in their natural habitat is decreasing leaving the species vulnerable.
Habitat loss, hunting, accidental poisoning, and climate change are all contributing to their decline.
The owlets are already starting to venture out of their nest.
Visitors can view the family in the Northern Trail habitat.
