Adopt An Owl Program In Its 24th Year And Still Going Strong

By Natalie Clysdale

This year will mark the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre’s (SBOIC) familiar “Adopt An Owl” program’s 24th year.

The Centre was created in 1997 to promote the conservation of the endangered Burrowing Owl through education, stewardship and eco-tourism. 

Lori Johnson, owl coordinator at the Moose Jaw Burrowing Owl Centre said the Adopt An Owl program is important to the Centre and its work.

“Our Adopt An Owl program is one our programs that we run all year round. It is also one of the main fundraisers that we have for the Centre,” said Johnson..  

The adoption is symbolic, and the funds raised from the program go towards the care and upkeep of the owls.  

“The center currently holds 11 burrowing owls and 12 owls in total that are ready to be adopted. We do have a short-eared owl that is also available for adoption and two little gophers,”  

One of the Centre’s owls - MJ Independent file photo

“We have a small flock of captive owls that stay with us here at the center and they are all up for adoption for varying donations and for varying amounts of time, “ Johnson continued.  

Adoption Fees and Lengths of Time:  

For the dollar amount of $50 you can adopt one captive owl for 6 months 

For the dollar amount of $100 you can adopt one captive owl for 1 year 

For the dollar amount of $175 you can adopt one captive owl for 2 years  

Donations are all tax deductible and accepted in person or online at the following link .

An adoption package includes the following:  

  • A certificate revealing details about your adopted owl including a picture and a photo that is ready for framing.  

  • An informational fact sheet on burrowing owls along with 2 postcards  

  • The satisfaction of knowing that 100% of your donation will go towards care for the owls  

  • If you are donating as gift to someone, a personal letter will be provided to the recipient acknowledging the gift made in their name  

  • 1 and 2 year adoption packages include a stuffed, plush burrowing owl. 

The funds are used to help pay to house and feed the owls who make their home at the Centre.

“A few of our owls were injured in the wild and due to the injuries they sustained they are not able to care for themselves, so they are deemed unreleasable. But the majority of our owls were either hatched here at the centre or came from other facilities, and they require a permanent home,” explained Johnson. 

The Centre works with a similar project in Manitoba.

“We have an ongoing partnership with the Manitoba Burrowing Owl Recovery conservation program (MBORP) and care for a few owls from Manitoba.  (MBORP) works to reintroduce a population of burrowing owls back into the historical range of Manitoba. They do breeding and releasing and they also have an educational component to that as well. Crickets sister, Cocoa is actually their ambassador owl for the Manitoba program,”  

A burrowing owl out catching some sun - MJ Independent file photo

The primary reason that the burrowing owl is placed into the endangered category is habitat loss.  

“The areas where they were naturally occurring changed over in some manner like farming which is a big component here on the prairies, but urban sprawl as well. In conjunction with some of the habitat loss, we see that it can also be compounding factors like ythe loss of other burrowing mammals as these guys do not dig their own burrows. They rely on gophers, badgers, prairie dogs and they will move in after the burrows have been abandoned,” said Johnson.  

The Centre allows more than one person to adopt an owl or a person may adopt more than one owl.

“Because it’s a symbolic adoption all the animals are available throughout the year even if someone adopts them for a year other people are still able to adopt an owl. If they are here and visiting and they see a little owl that they specifically like they can ask to adopt that owl or the other owls that we have,”  

Anyone who is interested in adopting an owl is encouraged to  go online to the (SBOIC)  website and fill out an adoption page o during regular business hours phone the Centre at (306) 692-8710.  

During the summer, the Centre is open to anyone who would like to stop by in person and visit or adopt an owl.  




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