Florida

D.C.'s Snowy Owl Found Dead Near Release Site

A rare snowy owl who was apparently hit by a bus in the Washington, D.C. has died, The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota announced Friday.

The Raptor Center says the owl's body was found on the shoulder of a Minnesota highway, near the site where she was released four months ago.

Earlier this year, the injured owl was found in downtown Washington and taken to the National Zoo before being transferred to a Washington, D.C., wildlife rehabilitation center. It underwent rehabilitation at The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota before her release in April.

Officials don't know what killed the owl, but believe she may have been hit by a vehicle.

Snowy owls are native to the Arctic, but were seen all along the East Coast this winter as far south as Florida.

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