When Wildlife Is Treated as Trash: The Hog-Tied Owl Case in Michigan

At our website, we focus entirely on owls. Their biology, their behavior, their role in ecosystems, and the challenges they face living alongside humans. Because of that, some stories are harder to write than others. This is one of them.

In early December 2025, a great horned owl was discovered inside a seed or cattle feed bag along a roadside in South Haven Township, Van Buren County, Michigan. The bird’s leg had been tightly bound with a plastic zip tie. According to wildlife rehabilitators who examined her, the tie was so constricting that it had cut into the ankle and restricted circulation.

The owl was alive when found and was immediately transported to a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility. Caretakers reported that the injury to her leg was severe and that she was also blind in one eye. The condition of the wound suggested that the zip tie had been in place for a long period of time, not something applied shortly before the bird was abandoned.

Based on the nature of the injury, rehabilitators believe this was likely not a single, impulsive act. Experts involved in the case have stated publicly that the restraint may have been placed when the owl was younger, possibly while she was being illegally kept or handled by a person over an extended period. As the owl grew, the zip tie would have tightened further, causing progressive damage.

Once the injury became too severe to ignore, the bird appears to have been discarded.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed that it is investigating the incident as a potential animal cruelty case. At this time, no suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made. Officials are asking anyone with information to come forward, particularly residents in and around South Haven Township who may be aware of someone attempting to keep a wild raptor or who noticed suspicious activity involving wildlife.

The owl’s future remains uncertain. Severe leg injuries in birds of prey can prevent them from hunting, perching, or surviving in the wild. Wildlife rehabilitators have explained that if the foot cannot heal adequately, humane euthanasia may be required. Even if the owl survives, she will almost certainly never be released back into her natural habitat.

For those of us who care deeply about owls, this case is devastating. Great horned owls are protected wildlife. They are not pets, not pests, and not disposable objects. They are long-lived, intelligent predators that play an essential role in Michigan’s ecosystems.

This was not neglect. This was cruelty.

Members of the public have begun calling on state authorities and the Van Buren County Prosecutor’s Office to treat this case with the seriousness it deserves. An online petition is urging officials to pursue animal cruelty charges, offer a reward for information, and ensure that the person responsible is held accountable under the law.

If you live in southwest Michigan and have any information related to this case, you are encouraged to contact the Michigan DNR’s Report All Poaching hotline at 1-800-292-7800.

Owls cannot speak for themselves. That responsibility falls on us.