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When a snowy owl with a severely dislocated wing was driven to a Regina rehabilitation centre this month, staff knew there was nothing they could do.

The bird was euthanized. But his story didn’t end there — a wildlife rehabilitator removed the feathers from the owl’s wings and will soon use them help another snowy owl that has been in the rehabilitation centre since the spring.

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Megan Lawrence, director of rehabilitation at the Salthaven West wildlife rehabilitation centre, says she performs feather implanting — commonly known as “imping” — on wild birds between one and three times a year. The procedure is important because it takes some birds, particularly birds of prey, more than a year to grow new feathers. Birds with damaged wing feathers can’t fly as well, which compromises their ability to hunt.

When otherwise healthy birds of prey need to be euthanized at Salthaven West because of injuries, Lawrence takes their feathers and keeps them in a “feather bank” so she is able to help other birds with damaged wing or tail feathers.