Galileo, one of JRC’s most popular education birds, died on October 21, 2005, of natural causes. The female Barred Owl had been with JRC since March 2000.

The owl was found near a Juneau beachfront with a badly damaged jaw. She was so small and undernourished that volunteers at first mistook her for a male — male Barred Owls are smaller than females. By the time they discovered their mistake, Galileo had already been named by the young winner of a Name-the-Owl contest in the Juneau schools.

Over the next several months, veterinarians performed four surgeries on Galileo’s jaw. Unfortunately, the damage — probably the result of an impact injury — was so severe that she could not return to the wild.

During her lengthy treatment and recovery period, Galileo endeared herself to JRC volunteers. Her easy-going personality and tolerance of people made her an ideal education bird.

Galileo was well known by the children of Juneau, as she was a frequent visitor to classrooms, scout meetings, and popular community events, such as the Harry Potter book launch parties. She appeared so relaxed around the public that sometimes people didn’t realize she was a live bird.

At other times, she could be quite animated. With her excellent eyesight and hearing, things would often catch her attention that humans could not see or hear. She would stretch her neck out, twist and turn, and bob her head from side to side, looking for whatever had caught her attention.

Galileo was a wonderful ambassador for conservation, illustrating the value of owls and other raptors to our world. She will be missed by the JRC and the public alike.