ARVIAT - While he might not talk to the animals, Joseph Kablutsiak may soon be known as Arviat's Doctor Dolittle if he keeps successfully nursing them back to health.

Joseph Kablutsiak is helping a snowy owl recover from its injuries after recently nursing a wounded falcon back to health in Arviat. - photo courtesy of Jason Steele

Kablutsiak, 44, recently took care of a falcon after the bird was injured near his home.

This time around, regional biologist Mitch Campbell called him about an injured snowy owl that was brought to his office.

When Campbell asked if he'd try to nurse the owl back to health, Kablutsiak jumped at the chance.

He said he went right to Campbell's office to get the owl and bring it home.

"The owl was pretty sick and couldn't even move," said Kablutsiak.

"It had a big wound on the side of its cheek and, when I opened the wound up, I could see dry puss in there, so I cleaned it up right away.

"Then I started feeding it, and it wasn't long before I could see it was starting to feel better."

Kablutsiak said the owl has gained strength and is now able fly inside his garage.

He said the wound was inflicted by another animal, not a hunter.

"It looked to me like whatever he caught fought back and took a piece out of him.

"He may have caught something too heavy for him.

"It seems to be a younger bird, because it's kind of small for a snowy owl."

Kablutsiak said he was a little worried about how the owl would react when he first started treating the wound.

He said he was pleasantly surprised when it offered no resistance.

"He was pretty calm and never fought me at all.

"It was like the owl knew I was trying to help it, and didn't move a muscle while I cleaned the wound.

"A friend of mine, Rod Bogie, gave me a hand cleaning the wound."

Kablutsiak started feeding the owl small pieces of caribou meat.

When he noticed it was having a hard time swallowing, he switched to Arctic char.

"The char really helped him gain strength and now he's also eating caribou and chicken legs.

"It's been all natural care, with no medicine.

"He's missing a lot of feathers, so I'm going to have to care for it awhile yet.

"If I let it go like that, it wouldn't survive through the winter."