Galileo is a male Short-eared Owl who was found caught in a barbed wire fence when his parents were teaching him to fly and hunt. Barbed wire injuries are often fatal to raptors due to the damaged caused and exposure. Luckily for Galileo, he was rescued by local birder photographers and HWI supporters Ron Dudley and Mia McPherson and taken to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah. Galileo had significant injuries to the patagial part of his left wing that causes the wing to droop. He also had too much exposure to humans, which left him unable to survive in the wild. Galileo joined the HawkWatch International team in November 2016 through a permit from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. His name is a reference to Galileo Galilei, an Italian astronomer who looked toward the heavens.