A young, male great horned owl was rescued by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) after the injured bird was found at a playground west of Durango on Wednesday afternoon.

In an X post, CPW said that officers headed over to the playground after receiving a repot of the injured bird. Sure enough, they found the owl. Although the bird tried to fly away, it was unable to gain any altitude, and Assistant Area Wildlife Manager Steve McClung was able to grab the owl.

The only noticeable ailments the bird had when examined were a few cuts to one leg and the “pungent odor of a skunk spray.”

The owl was taken to the Durango Animal Hospital to be examined. Staff noted that the owl was dehydrated, skinny, and had very cold legs. After the animal was sent in for imaging, it was believed that the owl had some trauma to its left shoulder and some bruising, but no noticeable bone breaks.

On Friday, the owl was sent to CPW’s Frisco Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility in Del Norte, where it will rest for the next week and then start flight conditioning to rebuild strength before being released back into nature.

“Rest up and eat well, big guy,” CPW wrote in an X post. “A huge thanks to the neighbor who first reported this injured owl so we had a chance at a rescue. And another thank you to Dr. Hawman and the team at Durango Animal Hospital for helping us in our effort to give injured wildlife a second chance.”

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