AFTER more than three months in the avian equivalent of intensive care, Thor the barn owl is being released into the wild tomorrow.

After being pulled back from the brink of death and nursed back to health, the young bird will be tasting freedom once more.

He was found at the beginning of December, last year, in the road at Romanby, near Northallerton, by Linda Butler-Blades of Grewelthorpe, near Ripon.

The bird was in a very poor state, suffering from malnutrition, dehydration and exhaustion. A tag on his leg indicated he had flown from Denmark.

It is thought he must have been caught in storms over the North Sea. Ms Butler-Blades took him to Tom Graham, the owner and manager of the Falcons of Thorp Perrow, near Bedale.

Mr Graham was sure Thor would not survive. The first 48 hours were critical and during that time Mr Graham administered antibiotics and had to force-feed and rehydrate the bird.

"The normal weight for an average barn owl is 14 ounces," said Mr Graham.

"But when Thor arrived at the centre he weighed only nine-and-a-half ounces _ now he's a very healthy 16.5 ounces. and being able to release him back to the wild makes all the effort worthwhile."