Environmental officials are rehabilitating an injured grass owl rescued from a rice field Tuesday near Barangay Lamlahak in South Cotabato. A concerned citizen found the owl, a Tyto capensis, and turned it over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Soccsksargen. Personnel from the Allah Valley Protected Landscape examined the bird and discovered a bruise on the inner portion of its left wing.

Authorities suspect the injury may have been caused by a slingshot, noting that children were reportedly playing in the area where the owl was discovered. Staff provided immediate medical care, applying povidone-iodine to the wound and administering electrolytes to assist the bird’s recovery. The owl is being transferred to the DENR XII Wildlife Rescue Center in Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat, for specialized treatment and further assessment.

Officials said the owl will be released back into its natural habitat once it is certified fit for survival in the wild. The agency issued a reminder to the public to protect local wildlife and to report any injured or captured animals to the nearest authorities, emphasizing that protecting ecological balance is a shared responsibility.