Injured Snowy Owl Is Ready For Release Into Wild

ST. PAUL (AP) - A rare snowy owl that was apparently hit by a bus in the nation's capital and sent to Minnesota for rehabilitation is scheduled to be released into the wild.

The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota plans to release the owl on Saturday along the northern Minnesota and Wisconsin border.

The injured owl was found in downtown Washington in late January and taken to the National Zoo before being transferred to a Washington, D.C., wildlife rehabilitation center.  It was then sent to The Raptor Center, which has expertise in replacing damaged feathers.

Snowy owls are native to the Arctic. The Raptor Center clinic manager Lori Arent says the owl may stay in the area for a few days, but its migratory urge will encourage it to move north.