Houston, Minn. owl retires after 20 years, leaves behind lasting legacy
HOUSTON, Minn. (AP) - After 20 years of making an impact, a famous bird of prey is retiring in Minnesota.
Alice will be retiring in Houston, where she lives with her caretaker Karla Bloem, who founded the International Festival of Owls and the International Owl Center, the Winona Daily News reported .
The city of Houston hired Bloem in 1996 to develop plans for a nature center. Bloem wanted to find a non-releasable bird to be the focus of educational program. Alice had fallen out of her nest when she was three weeks old, permanently injuring her wing. She was the perfect match.
Bloem created the International Festival of Owls to celebrate Alice's "hatch day."
"It didn't take long before we had people flying here from Alabama and all over the country," Bloem said. "That's when we realized there was nobody else in North America doing anything like it."
Bloem said between 2,000 to 2,400 people attend the event annually.
"Our mission is to make the world a better place for owls," Bloem said. "We want to empower people so they in their own daily life can help owls."
Alice has appeared at the state capitol to advocate for the protection of great horned owls. She has also worked with cinematographers, appeared in book and sparked enthusiasm for owls to be studied and celebrated.
Bloem said Alice is in good health, but has a heavy workload with the center's educational programs.
"I'm very relieved that she doesn't have to work anymore," she said.
Bloem said Alice's retirement means the bird will be able to stay home and get all the attention she wants.
"I can't even fathom what my life would be like if Alice didn't show up," Bloem said. "She is a very special owl."