Name: Susanna
Species: Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Age: born in 2012 / in the park since 2014.
Likes: Being with people. She is our spoiled girl. She prefers to be fed by hand rather than eat on her own.
Dislikes: Cold and humidity. During the winter months Susanna sleeps in our kitchen.
Why she lives in the refuge: Susanna has had osteoarthritis since she was little.
Photo: Antonio Chaparro
The story of Susanna the barn owl
Susanna’s arrival
Susanna is one of the first inhabitants of the refuge. A friend of Stania (the director of the Zoo of the Pyrenees), who works at the Jihlava Zoo in the Czech Republic offering a Birds of Prey show, asked her if she could take care of her. The climate in Spain is more favorable for the disease Susanna has.
Her life at the zoo
Susanna joined us at the opening of the Zoo in 2014. She was one of the stars of the Birds of Prey show.
But over time her illness worsened. She cannot move one leg and has crooked toes on the other. You could tell that flying was hurting her. We decided to let her rest from daily training.
Susanna today
This affectionate owl needs daily contact with people. She participates in the activities of the Petting zoo, the Owls Experience and the Falconry Course.
Our team, together with the help of volunteers, tries to give her all the time and love she needs.
How we care for Susanna
She has a facility where she lives alone. She considers people of her own species and we cannot put her together with other barn owls. They are wild animals: their instinct tells them that they have to eliminate everything that is not suitable for survival in a natural way.
