SUPERHERO: Buddy the Pharoah eagle owl Superpower: Stealth! Owls have soft plumage and fringes on the leading edges of their wings allowing them to silently fly as they approach their prey. Kryptonite/Threats: Secondary poisons like rat poison that people use to control pests can cause internal bleeding and death in these apex predators which feed on rodents.
SUPERHERO: Neville the Great gray owl
Where to see Buddy and his cousins: In the wild, this species is most common in northwestern Africa, and they extend into Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula… but you can see Buddy without having to leave the country, or even your own home! He and several other superheroes are available to join your next virtual ZOOM meeting, gathering or happy hour! Get the details on our Call of the Wild program here.
Superpower: Mega-hearing! Owls have large ear openings concealed by their feathers that capture significantly more sound than we humans can hear. Great gray owls can hunt rodents running in tunnels beneath the snow pack and plunge their feet through to capture them. Kryptonite/Threats: Claustrophobia. In the wild, great gray owls have large home ranges and need a lot of forest to hunt in. Habitat loss means that there aren’t as many big forests for them to live in as there used to be. Where to see Neville and his cousins: Neville’s wild cousins are native to the northern hemisphere, including many areas in the U.S. and in Washington state. You won’t see them in Seattle, though. They prefer a dense forest habitat far away from cities. The closest habitat to us would be the Okanogan forest area east of the Cascades. At Woodland Park Zoo, you can visit Neville at his home in the Northern Trail area.
12 MYZOO Member Magazine | Fall 2020 | zoo.org
