An owl found in Ventura County is recovering today after being found saturated in oil. There is no mystery as to how the owl was covered in oil because he was found in the “Dulah” oil pits, west of Ventura, also known as the San Miguelito Fields. The Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network doesn’t know how the owl got into the pits at this time.

The bird was cleaned with warm water and ordinary dish soap. The process will take some time and many washes. In between time the bird is getting some rest and plenty of love from the rescuers. It’s not known if the owl is male or female, but one thing is for sure, the bird has very sharp claws and it’s a bit tricky to clean the bird. Only professionals should ever attempt this difficult, dangerous and very time consuming process.

More information on the oil pits can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguelito_Oil_Field