Blind Owl Can See Again-with lenses

The Associated Press
Updated: 11:16 a.m. ET Feb. 12, 2004MADISON, Wis. - A great horned owl found starving in the wild because it had gone blind could be released this spring after having new lenses implanted in its eyes.

The owl, named Minerva by medical personnel, underwent two hours of eye surgery last month, and Dr. Chris Murphy said she was in good condition during a follow-up exam Wednesday.

"Perfect," said Murphy, a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist. "Ounce for ounce, this is considered one of the toughest birds on the face of the Earth."

Cataracts the problem
Minerva was found in emaciated condition in early December, after someone told wildlife rehabilitators Sue and Jerry Theys that an owl had been sitting on a fence for three days.

Sue Theys, who netted the owl, said she suspected the owl had cataracts. After a local veterinarian confirmed the diagnosis, the couple brought the owl to Murphy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine