Burrowing owls released in Alberta

[Catherine]

Calgary Zoo and the Wilder Institute have been working to raise the numbers of burrowing owls on the Canadian prairies. The last hatched owlets have a 3% chance of survival. The Zoo raised twenty of these owlets over the winter and prepared them for release. They have set up burrows for them and are monitoring them. It is hoped that they will mate and produce eggs and hatch more burrowing owls.  
The biggest problem the owls face is habitat loss. We have caused their decline. This is an effort to reverse the trend and restore the owls to their natural range in the wild.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/c...-1.6463232

The different zoos have had a lot of success with programs like this. They raise an endangered animal with the intention of releasing it.
They do it in enough numbers to have an impact on the survival of a species. The California Condors come to mind. They are now able to expand into the northern range of their territory. It is possible to see a Condor in the wild.
Some day we will see burrowing owls across the prairies where they belong.