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As crime capers go, this is an unusual Hoo-dunit.

A great horned owl named Dakota was stolen over the weekend from an Oconomowoc wildlife rehabilitation center. The owl prowlers pushed some equipment next to a tall perimeter fence to get inside a locked compound and then broke open a lock on Dakota's cage, spiriting away the golden-eyed raptor.

Not only are officials at the Wildlife In Need Center upset about their purloined owl, but they're also worried about Dakota's health.

Dakota never learned to hunt for food on his own and has been an animal ambassador for most of his 11 years.

"He can't take care of himself," said Lisa Rowe, director of operations for Wildlife In Need Center. "He can't hunt. He's really shy for an owl. It's very distressing to us not knowing what happened to him."

Dakota was kidnapped from his nest as a tiny owlet and fed human food, which made him sick. When he was taken to a veterinarian, the people who had him were told it's illegal to own an owl and Dakota came to the Wildlife In Need Center when he was a few months old.

By then Dakota - his name was selected in a contest among wildlife facility volunteers - had imprinted on humans, going to people for food and companionship. He's lived a good life in captivity, spending his days visiting schools and performing for Scout troops.

Apparently he's attracted quite a following.

"He's got these great big yellow eyes. He's very talkative for an owl, he always hoots at people," Lowe said. "We have several educational animals and he's one of the more dramatic animals that people like to see. Most people don't get to see owls up close so when we go out with him he makes quite an impact."

The Waukesha County Sheriff's Department is investigating the theft.

Saturday night or early Sunday, the nocturnal bird of prey was poached by night-owl burglars who also broke open two other cages - one that was empty and another that housed a wild turkey recovering from an injury. Even though Thanksgiving is next week, the turkey was not pirated away and was found wandering inside the perimeter fence Sunday morning.

Great horned owls are among the largest owls in North America and like all raptors, the females are bigger than males. They're also the most common species of owl in southern Wisconsin, said Bill Mueller, an ornithologist with the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory near Belgium. Their diet is mostly mammals ranging from mice and shrews to rabbits.

"Owls have this kind of iconic standing, they're symbolic for a lot of people. Since the onset of the Harry Potter phenomenon, their popularity has increased," said Mueller, referring to the owls that delivered mail in the Harry Potter books and movies.

Mueller said it's possible Dakota, if he's released by his owl-nappers, would be preyed upon by foxes or coyotes, but it's more likely he'd starve.

"If the people who took this bird know something about owls it might have a chance if they know how to feed it. But if they don't, its chances are not very good," Mueller said.

Dakota was wearing leather leashes, 4 to 6 inches long, on his feet when he was snatched. He's friendly around people, said Rowe, who thinks Dakota probably began hooting when he heard the burglars breaking into the compound.

The facility treats 2,000 to 3,000 injured and sick animals each year but also has an educational component that includes Dakota; two woodchucks named Waldo and Gregory; a fox snake named Slither; Maize, a corn snake; an ornate box turtle dubbed Jewel; and a Muscovy duck called Daphne.

Dakota was scheduled to appear before a Girl Scout troop on Tuesday and a Cub Scout troop on Thursday.

"We desperately want him back," Rowe said. "We're really worried about him."