http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/west-palm-beach/man-behind-owl-video-says-he-didnt-hurt-birdWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The man who claims he shot the viral video involving an owl that has FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service investigating says he and his cousin did not hurt the owl.
"It didn't fly away so we knew it was hurt. Leave me alone," Johnny Duverson said.Duverson says he was with his cousin in the car near Blue Heron and Interstate 95 when they spotted the Great Horned Owl and picked it up. He claims the owl was already hurt when they found it.
Duverson says he shot the video, then he says they dropped the owl off in Lake Worth.
Duverson admits he wrote on Facebook: "3am in the morning, we are drunk, we are high, we bout to take this thing home and eat it up just found it on the road."
But he says what he wrote on Facebook is not what happened.
"I know what I put on Facebook. That is what I put. I can put what I want on my Facebook. But like I said, I just woke up and you are coming to my door with this stupid stuff," Duverson said.A spokeswoman with FWC says the Great Horned Owl is protected by the Federal Government which is why Federal investigators are involved.
"Anything we are looking into as an investigation is something where we are saying we are concerned. We are going to move forward and find out what happened here and make sure things are addressed," Liz Barraco with Florida Fish and Wildlife said.
The public can share information with FWC regarding this incident through the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or by email to Tip@MyFWC.com