A few months ago, customers walking into a CVS in Anthem, Arizona, were met with a surprising sight: a young owl huddled near the front door. Though the fledgling seemed uninjured, it was clear he couldn’t fly off on his own.
Even more surprising? His concerned parents were perched high above, watching from atop the store’s sign.
Weeks earlier, a great horned owl pair had built a nest on a ledge above the pharmacy’s drive-thru. But the spot—right above a busy storefront—worried CVS employees.
“[Great horned owls] don’t build great nests,” said Beth Edwards, a volunteer with the Wild At Heart raptor rescue. “They often reuse old nests or settle in any sturdy crook.”
The CVS team had already been in contact with Wild At Heart, knowing that once the baby owl began to fledge, he might end up grounded. And sure enough, after an early flight attempt, the little owl found himself stranded at the store entrance.
While it’s natural for young owls to spend time on the ground as part of their development, the hustle and bustle of a CVS wasn’t the safest place.
“With all the foot traffic, we knew he needed a quieter spot,” Wild At Heart wrote on Facebook.
Edwards arrived to carefully collect the fledgling and bring him to their rescue and rehabilitation center. After a quick checkup, the owl was deemed healthy and given a fitting name: Script—an homage to the pharmacy he was rescued from.
Script was then placed with an experienced owl foster family at the center, where he’ll continue to grow and learn the survival skills he needs to thrive in the wild.
“He’s able to fly and will continue to grow up here over the summer,” Edwards said.
Once he’s ready, Script will be released into his natural habitat. Thanks to the watchful CVS staff and the caring team at Wild At Heart, this little owl now has a second chance to soar.