Boise Zoo Workers Hope Eagle Owls Will Mate, Not Fight

Zoo Boise workers hope a male European eagle owl can romance a female without her ripping him to shreds.

Next week, they will pair a new, 2-year-old male eagle owl with the zoo’s longtime resident female. With the right incentives, including a few dead mice, zookeepers hope to see some eggs hatch by spring.

“It takes a certain amount of finesse so she doesn’t kill him,” zookeeper John Hall said.

“Hopefully, they’ll make a fair bond.”

Boise bought the male owl last month for about $1,500 from a commercial breeder in Toronto, Canada.

With the mating season approaching, Hall hopes hormones will outweigh aggression. To help things along, Hall will give the male some small mice as courting gifts.