'Really Hard To Say Goodbye:' Popular Claremore Wildlife Sanctuary Owl Headed To Texas Zoo

A barn owl living at a wildlife sanctuary in Claremore will be getting a new home this weekend.

Wild Heart Ranch says the owl, named Kara, has captured the hearts of thousands of people around the world online, but it’s time for her to move on to her next adventure.

KARA’S STORY

Kara was only a few weeks old when she came to Wild Heart Ranch in September.

Austyn Potter has been by Kara’s side since the beginning and says at first, they weren’t sure she was going to make it through the night.

"She was 10 ounces. She was so, so skinny, and so, so starved,” said Potter. “When we got her, we immediately started giving her supplements and protein and fluids."

Kara has made a great recovery.

She will always have a droopy wing and a broken leg, but she’s growing stronger and can fly.

"With her, we always knew she wouldn't be releasable if she made it,” said Potter. “We were able to handle her and hold her and love on her. She always had a toy with her, but she seemed to be more interested in us than the toys!"

They say Kara’s curious, goofy personality helped her gain fans from all over the world. Some people even sent in crochet Kara dolls and paintings.

"We go through phases where we have an animal that's making a really insane recovery and we post them,” said Potter. “Kara just took off. She got a cult following. People love her."

Potter says they have to make room for the other animals and make sure they’re safe because owls like Kara are considered to be predators. So, Kara is headed to the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville, Texas.

"She's going to be an educational animal,” said Potter. “She's going to have a handler every single day and get to be with people and get to go see people and be an ambassador for her species, so people can learn more about them and learn how good they are for us and the environment."

Even though they’re sad to lose Kara, they’re excited for her next adventure.

"Everyone has been very emotional about it,” said Potter. “We've had her since September, so it's going to be really hard to say goodbye. But they're intelligent animals, so we've been trying not to cry in front of her!"

Wild Heart says they are grateful for all the support and donations Kara has gotten during her stay there.

Kara is headed to Texas on Saturday.

FOLLOW KARA’S JOURNEY

Link to Wild Heart Ranch’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/WildHeartRanch/

Link to Frank Buck Zoo’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Frank.Buck.Zoo