Bob Fox with Wild At Heart carefully inspects a Great-horned Owl to discover where the wing is damaged. The first rescue of the new year, this owl arrived at Wild At Heart from the Troon / Pinnacle Peak area of North Scottsdale. Initial evaluation of the wing is that the damage can be successfully repaired and the owl released back to where it came from. In 2015, Wild At Heart took in 716 birds (the vast majority raptors), this is 97 more than 2014, a 15.7% increase over the the 619 birds (almost all raptors) received in 2014. The continuous growth of development in the Valley and the state means more wildlife contact with the things we humans do that can injure birds and other animals. Sometimes a minor injury can be healed, but this is the beginning of the courtship period for Great-horned Owls, an “early nester”. For this injured owl the breeding success is impacted in 2016 and it will take another year before the train is back on the track for breeding in 2017. If the injury occurred later in the year it could mean that eggs or baby birds were also affected. Sometimes Wild At Heart rescues baby owls and then a foster parent owl can take over and do the work of feeding and training. Wild At Heart volunteers and staff directly or indirectly help the wildlife make the best of what has happened so another bird can resume their role in the natural world beside our busy technological world.