The Wildlife Center is sad to announce the loss of longtime educational ambassador Pignoli the Eastern Screech-owl, who died on September 12, 2016.
During a routine coping [beak trimming] procedure, Pignoli stopped breathing. Resuscitation efforts were made, but Pignoli was unable to be revived. Pignoli experienced seizure-like episodes in April 2015 and again in March 2016; she recovered both times, but the veterinary team was never able to pinpoint what was causing these life-threatening episodes.
Pignoli came to the Wildlife Center in October 2003, after she was found lying beside railroad tracks in Charlottesville. She had severe head trauma and suffered damage to both of her eyes. Wildlife Center veterinarians surgically removed Pignoli’s right eye; with reduced vision in her remaining eye, Pignoli was unable to be released.
During the past 13 years at the Wildlife Center, Pignoli has been a beloved member of the outreach team and family. Due to her physical limitations and adaptable demeanor, Pignoli was easily the most-handled education bird at the Wildlife Center; for the past 13 years, when staff members and outreach volunteers began learning how to handle education raptors, they started with Pignoli. Many new, nervous bird handlers often commented on how Pignoli seemed so patient as they fumbled with equipment on a live bird for the first time.
Pignoli appeared in hundreds of programs and met tens of thousands of people during her time at the Wildlife Center. Nearly everyone who met Pignoli loved her, but kids were especially fascinated by this little bird. Having only one eye made her especially memorable, and it’s not uncommon to meet people who saw Pignoli during a program when they were younger and still remember her. She made a big impression on the thousands of people she met. In addition to her outreach duties, Pignoli also occasionally served as a "surrogate owl" to young Eastern Screech-Owl chicks, to provide them with an adult role model of the same species.
Rest in peace, dear friend. Your friends and family will greatly miss you.
