The Draper Museum Raptor Experience will be 10 years old in 2021. In honor, the museum minutes are featuring the 11 raptors in the program. The raptor experience is a live raptor education program that shares the regions wild animals with visitors to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
Teasdale the Great Horn Owl was found by a hiker on the side of a trail, said Brandon Lewis, the live raptor program assistant manager. He said Teasdale broke many bones.
“He broke the equivalent of the metacarpals, or the bones that you would find in the hand,” said Lewis.
Once the hiker found Teasdale, he started heading towards the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center, but Lewis said luck was not on Teasdale’s side.
“An avalanche occurred and blocked the road so they had to take an alternate route. By the time they got him into a vet to be examined and fixed up it had taken an extra 24 hours to get in there,” said Lewis.
By the time Teasdale got to the vet, his wing bones had already started to heal in the incorrect positions. The vet decided it was not worth the risk to break and put his bones in the right spot. Lewis said Teasdale can fly, but not well enough to be on his own which is why he came to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
Museum Minute was a series co-produced with Wyoming Public Media (WPM).
