Owl released at Plant Watson

Mississippi Power recently partnered with Wild at Heart Rescue to release a Great Horned Owl back into the wild after rescuing and rehabbing the injured bird.

Senior Compliance Specialist Mike Beverin received a call from a contractor who was maintaining the lawn around Plant Watson when they discovered the injured owl on Nov. 7.

After his own investigation, Beverin called Environmental Specialist Patrick Chubb who worked with the local agency to facilitate a pickup after Beverin safely captured the injured owl.

“I own birds myself, and I knew they could get stressed easily,” said Beverin. “I was able to meet with one of their contacts in Gulfport that day who assists their organization in rehabilitating animals.”

Missy Dubuisson, founder and director of Wild at Heart Rescue was onsite at Plant Watson for the release.

“We did supportive care on the owl first,” said Dubuisson. “After treating him, we were able to rehab him in a limited mobility flight cage provided with support from Mississippi Power.”

After almost two months in their care, the owl, affectionately known at Wild at Heart Rescue as “Louie,” was ready to return home. Wild at Heart Rescue is Mississippi Power’s preferred avian rehab organization per the company’s Avian Protection Plan.

“Through our partnership with Mississippi Power, we were able to construct several limited mobility enclosures, like the one Louie the owl used,” said Dubuisson. “These enclosures allow injured birds to gain strength in a contained area and allow our staff to assess when the birds are ready for release.”

After rehab, Louie the owl was returned to a familiar environment, Plant Watson, to make its way safely home.

“Since the owl was found at Plant Watson, we can make the assumption that it came from this area and may have a nest nearby,” said Environmental Specialist Patrick Chubb. “Our hope is that releasing the owl in an area it is familiar with will allow him to make its way home safe – making this a successful recovery and release.”

Now in its 98th year of operations, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and affordable energy for nearly 191,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Mississippi Power recently was a recipient of the Community Partner Impact Award from the Center for Energy Workforce Development for its innovative and ongoing efforts to build a diverse workforce. With nearly 160 megawatts of approved solar energy capacity, Mississippi Power is the largest partner in providing renewable energy in the state of Mississippi. Visit our websites at mississippipower.com and mississippipowernews.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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