Watch Owl Rescued on Mount Washington Get Released Back Into the Wild

Remember the tiny owl shivering in the snow that was found by staff at the top of Mt Washington when they went out to measure the snow depth at the summit? Good news! The tiny owl has recovered and has been released back into the wild. The owl also has been given a name.

Tiny Owl in the Snow

On March 1, two interns at the Mt. Washington Observatory went out for their daily snow measurement at the summit. The weather was foggy, snowy, and windy. Struggling in that nasty weather the interns found a tiny owl covered in snow with its eyes frozen shut.

They brought the owl inside where it was warm and it wasn't long before he looked great again.

Back Down the Mountain

The observatory staff consulted with New Hampshire State Park staff who work there, as well as a birding enthusiast, about how to handle the situation. During the next shift change, the park staff took the owl down the mountain by snowcat and brought it to New Hampshire Fish & Game. It was determined that the owl was a Northern Saw-Whet Owl.

The Owl Now Has a Name

The staff at the observatory wanted a name for the owl to commemorate this event that they will never forget so they asked people to leave suggestions in the comments on their Instagram post. The owl has been appropriately named "Snowball."

READ MORE: Did You Know These 30 Animals Are on New Hampshire's Endangered Species List?

Released Back Into the Wild

Snowball was identified as a Saw-Whet owl and was cared for by New Hampshire Fish and Game. Snowball got a clean bill of health after recouping for nine days and was released back into the wild, quickly flying away to where he belongs.