Rare owl stolen from US bird sanctuary

A rare owl - which could fetch up to USD 4,000 on the black market - has been stolen from a bird sanctuary in central Washington.
The Eurasian tawny owl was stolen last week from his perch at the Raptor House sanctuary in Selah, Yakima County.
Raptor House founder Shannon Dalan believes the thief specifically targeted the owl as he walked past three native birds in the sanctuary before getting to Sherman.
Sherman has reddish-brown feathers like tree bark and weighs just under a pound. The bird came to Raptor House in good health from a sanctuary in St Louis.

Shannon and his wife Marsha take Sherman to schools and shows to teach people about birds. They worry what might happen to Sherman if he's set free.
"He's spent fourteen years in captivity and he doesn't know how to hunt. He won't survive in this kind of weather," Shannon told KIMA-TV.
Birds like Sherman can fetch up to USD 4,000 on the black market. But, Shannon does not believe Sherman was abducted simply for money; he thinks someone could have stolen the bird to take revenge.
"There's been instances where we've come across people doing illegal activities and we reported it," he said.