In the spring, groundskeepers at Maple Mount discovered an owl on the ground as they were mowing in the park. Thinking that the owl was injured because it did not fly away, the Daviess County Humane Society was contacted. The owl was taken to the Western Kentucky Raptor Center in Yellow Creek Park. On June 25, 2015, Kristin Allen returned the great horned owl – named Francis – to Maple Mount to be released in the park.

The owl was a young male and had not been injured. Allen explained to the sisters who gathered near the park that owl parents kick their babies out of the nest as fledglings and feed them on the ground for several weeks while their wings get strong enough to fly. Allen and her family worked with the owl and fed it until it was strong enough. She said its natural instincts would help it find food from now on.

Here are pictures from the return of Francis: