Help decide if this owl is named Whootie, Butterscotch, Peepers, McGowl or Eleanor by voting at largonature.com.
LARGO – Largo Nature Parks is holding a poll to name the new female Great Horned Owl at the George C. McGough Nature Park.
The Friends of the Largo Nature Parks selected the top five submissions: Whootie, Butterscotch, Peepers, McGowl and Eleanor. Cast a vote for your favorite at largonature.com. Voting ends Nov. 12.
The bird was acquired through the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in late July. She was found on the Fox Hollow Golf Course with severe damage to one of her eyes, rendering her partially blind.
The Clearwater Audubon Society rescued the owl, and she received medical care from the veterinary staff at Busch Gardens. Due to the bird’s injury, she is no longer suited to live in the wild and has found a permanent home at McGough Nature Center.
McGough Nature Center sees this as an opportunity to connect the public with nature.
“When you are able to bring a live owl in to a teaching setting, it really reinforces the point of the lesson to the students,” says Kyle Vogel, a nature program specialist at the park. “This owl has almost completely lost her sense of sight, but that allows us to demonstrate to students how her other senses help compensate for this loss.”
Help support the owls by becoming a member of, volunteering with, or making a donation to the Friends of the Largo Nature Parks. For more information, call 518-3047 or visit the McGough Nature Center, at 11901 146th St. N. in Largo. The center is open weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
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