Fang Ye picked up the cardboard box and quickly met up with Lan Li downstairs from the dormitory building.
Lan Li, though not sure why she was asked to bring towels, guessed they might be used for rescuing the Eurasian eagle-owl and showed them off, "Director, are these big enough towels? I also brought two protective gloves!"
Fang Ye praised her, "The size is good! Well done, you're really attentive!"
One towel was to be placed at the bottom of the cardboard box to prevent slipping during transport, and at the same time, it could protect the Eurasian eagle-owl's feet—the bottom of the cardboard box was quite hard, and putting it directly inside wasn't good for its feet.
The other towel was for capturing the Eurasian eagle-owl; it could be used to cover its eyes so it wouldn't see people's movements, reducing stress and making it easier to capture and secure.
After a while, Lei Zhi also drove the van over, and the two of them set off for Linhai No.2 Middle School in the rain!
The car shook, and the rain outside sounded loudly.
Fang Ye took a pair of scissors and started poking holes in the top of the cardboard box.
Lan Li asked nervously, "Director, when we get there, how are we going to capture it? Is there anything we need to pay attention to?"
Fang Ye reassured her, "Don't worry, it's quite simple."
When they arrive, he would cast a soothing skill to reduce the Eurasian eagle-owl's fear! Even if it resisted, it shouldn't be too intense.
He briefly explained to Lan Li, "When capturing, different species of raptors behave differently, and the methods of capture vary. For weak birds with little resistance, you just need to gently pick them up.
Cinereous vultures run very fast, and you have to corner them first, then cover them from above with a big cloth bag.
Some raptors take a defensive position with their back against the ground when people approach. At that time, you can quickly make a move and grab their wings or legs directly.
For general raptors, you can use a net or a towel, cover their head, control their tarsi, and then hold onto their wings. During the securing process, you must cover their head with a towel or a falcon hood to reduce stress,"
"Oh, I see!"
Lan Li nodded earnestly, taking notes on her mobile phone.
She asked, confused, "What's that? Fuzhi?"
After scanning the room with his gaze, he peeked behind the door and, as expected, located the Eurasian eagle-owl, "Here it is!"
The Eurasian eagle-owl seemed to have rested for a while, undisturbed by noise, and its condition had improved somewhat; it didn't look as frightened as in the photos Tang Xiaoxin had taken.
Noticing someone's presence, the owl's half-closed eyes opened, its ear tufts stood erect, much like a person raising their long eyebrows, warily sizing up Fang Ye as it blinked its yellow, large eyes.
Then, bending its body, the owl's feathers began to puff up as if inflating; its black beak clacked open and shut, making a deep, loud "tap-tap" sound that echoed in the small water supply room like two firecrackers buried in a pit exploding.
Lan Li, who had initially thought the Eurasian eagle-owl was quite cute, was taken aback by the sound without warning, her body flinching instinctively. She then asked in a low voice, "What's that sound?"
Fang Ye explained, "That's the Eurasian eagle-owl warning enemies not to come closer."
Although the Eurasian eagle-owl seemed fine, wild animals tend to display their healthiness in the face of predators and do not easily show weakness.
For birds, because their bodies are covered with thick feathers, some injuries that aren't very serious or large can often go unnoticed without a thorough examination, possibly being overlooked.
The problem lies here. Some wild birds have very thin skin, with some areas having connective tissue wrapping around muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and the like, which are extremely thin and fragile. If they do get injured, and the wound is not treated promptly and exposed to the air for long, it could necrotize.
Once necrosis occurs, especially in the parts on the wings where the ulna and radius lead outwards toward the wrist and carpal bones, if there is localized skin necrosis exceeding two square centimeters, the extremities will completely necrotize as well, and the best outcome is amputation.
An amputated bird is completely unable to fly and becomes disabled.
If discovered much later, and amputation isn't performed in time, the necrotic limb could accumulate potassium ions. High blood potassium can have a significant impact on the heart, and if it reaches a certain level, the heart can stop.
It's like when someone is buried underneath a building during an earthquake, a few hours of compression on their limbs and they may have to consider amputation, because if you immediately lift the debris, the potassium ions accumulated at the extremities could rush to the heart, and the person could potentially die suddenly.
Therefore, it's best to call professionals when rescuing birds and not to move them at will, otherwise an uninjured bird can become injured, making the rescue more troublesome.
For caution's sake, Fang Ye activated his Eye of Observation to check the condition of the Eurasian eagle-owl!
[Eurasian Eagle-Owl
Mood: Alert
Health Status: Slightly subpar]
He sighed with slight relief internally, that's not too bad!