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Great Horned Owl who escaped during Tropical Storm Debby found safe

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Published  August 20, 2024 8:13am EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

Raptor Center speaks out after owl found safe

The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay met with FOX 13 after a Great Horned Owl who went missing during Tropical Storm Debby was found safe.

BRANDON, Fla. - A Great Horned Owl who escaped from his enclosure in Brandon during Tropical Storm Debby has been found safe, the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay confirmed.

Great Horned Owl found safe after going missing

A Great Horned Owl that went missing after Tropical Storm Debby has been found safe.

'Charlie,' a four-year-old Great Horned Owl got loose from his enclosure on August 5 as Debby rolled through the Tampa Bay area. 

READ: Raptor Center of Tampa Bay searching for owl that escaped enclosure during Tropical Storm Debby

But after nearly two weeks of extensive search efforts for the owl involving 2300 flyers and 500 door-knockers, Charlie was found safe on Monday.

The Raptor Center of Tampa Bay confirmed that he is finally back home, albeit a bit thinner. They shared that on Monday at around 2 p.m., they received a call that Charlie had been in their backyard at 8:30 a.m. 

Video shows someone showing up to pick up Charlie, concluding the nearly two-week search. 

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"It's gonna take him a little while to recover from his ordeal. He is very thin. He has eaten a little bit and very glad to be home," the Raptor Center shared in a Facebook update.