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Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 19:35:50 EST

The saga of Spot, the nothern spotted owl that roosted in downtown Everett
came to a close today.

Spot spent the day quietly roosting. At 2:30, a team from the State Department
of Fish and Wildlife came to the site, and with the use of a City of Everett
Fire Department truck, snared Spot and placed him in a crate to be transported
to more suitable habitat.

The capture was made despite the objections of several in the crowd. Some
bystanders regarded the capture as harassment of the bird.

Pilchuck Audubon Society staff on site stated that the capture was premature,
and that the bird should have been given a couple of days more to relocate on
its own.

The spectacular owl was a dispersing juvenile, probably in search of a new
home. It most likely could not find any old-growth forest habitat, where
northern spotted owls typically live. Clearcutting and habitat destruction
have devastated spotted owl populations to the point that they are now listed
as an threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Dave Ward
Pilchuck Audubon Society
425-252-0926

p.s. Rumor has it that Spot's sex was confirmed as male, since he was lost and
wouldn't ask for directions!