Injury:  Displaced fracture of right radius and ulna near elbow  (Break in the two forearm bones that did not heal properly.)

Rhea is a Barred owl and became a resident at the center in 1999, but her story starts before this.  She was a nest fall victim when some people unknowingly cut down her tree.  Rhea suffered a broken metacarpal during the fall.  The people kept her to raise themselves, but only fed her venison, which does not have all the right nutrients that a growing owl needs.  The metacarpal healed fine, but one day their dog got into the crate, grabbed Rhea by the wing, and in doing so broke the radius and ulna.  Rhea was brought to the center after this incident, but the break was too severe and it did not heal properly.  If she had been brought to us right after the fall Rhea most likely would have been released.