Grieving Two Great Grey Owls

On September 15, we faced the heartbreaking loss of two of our great grey owls, ‘Catelyn’ and ‘Arya’. Catelyn, a senior bird who hatched in the wild, had been with us since 1997, while Arya, hatched here in 2013, was just 12 years old. Both passed away suddenly from West Nile virus despite dedicated care and supportive treatments from our Animal Care, Health & Welfare (ACHW) team.

Great grey owls are highly sensitive to this virus, and even with their annual vaccinations, it can sometimes overwhelm healthy individuals. As a precaution, our ACHW team re-vaccinated and tested all remaining owls in the Jihad Shibley Rocky Mountain Aviary, with reassuring negative results.

Catelyn and Arya were cherished ambassadors for their species, and their calm, captivating presence touched the hearts of staff, volunteers, and guests alike. They will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by all.