A fledgling Northern Pygmy Owl barely escaped becoming the dinner of a hungry fox before being rescued by a Good Samaritan in the Poudre Canyon northwest of Fort Collins.

The tiny 60-gram predator (less than two AA batteries) was saved when a passerby noticed him on the highway and flagged down a Deputy Sheriff. A Colorado Division of Wildlife officer brought him to RMRP in a Tupperware container. 

"He was so tiny I could hardly examine him," said RMRP Assistant Director Lisa Winta. "He fit easily in the palm of my hand." Help Us Care For This Tiny Terror

He kept his eyes closed during the examination, a possible symptom of head trauma. He was given remedies to calm him and ease any pain and placed in an oxygen cage with a "nest" made from a rolled-up towel. A few moments later there was a rustling sound and he was standing tall (well, 3" tall) on the towel.

With a bird this small (about the weight of two cd's) the prognosis is very guarded, but he thoroughly enjoyed a meal of minced mouse meat about 12 hours after admission. The pygmy owl was recently transferred to an outdoor cage where he will attend mouse school in preparation for his release back to the wild. "We'll give him good care and hope for the best," Winta said.

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