About 30 people at the Harris Nature Center in Okemos murmured excitedly as Alex Walker brought out a large, tan-colored cage and put on a glove.
The Potter Park Zoo docent hushed the crowd, then reached into the cage. Moments later, she pulled out a large Eurasian eagle owl, who perched on her arm.
"Most people are afraid of them," Walker said. Docents are trained volunteers generally found at art galleries and museums.
The owl's two orange eyes gazed at the crowd as it became accustomed to the surroundings.
Harris Nature Center, 3998 Van Atta Road, hosted its annual Owl Prowl on Friday. Local residents learned about owls and presenters from Potter Park Zoo, 1301 S. Pennsylvania Ave., showed an owl born in captivity before the group went out into the woods to search for a bird in the wild.
Some children observing the bird squealed with delight and others raised their hands to ask if owls could become pets.
"People think they're pets, but they're still wild animals," Walker said. "Their instincts are still there, regardless if they were born in captivity."
Zoo docent Jan Morrow brought owl artifacts including pellets and a wing.
"We're more hands-on," Morrow said. "If you feel the wing, you'll notice it's very light.
"The feathers on the owl weigh more than the bones."
Owls live for 20 years in the wild, but in captivity can live as long as 60 years, Walker told the crowd. Female owls are larger than the males, she said, adding that gender is sometimes difficult to determine, and a DNA test might be required.
After the group asked questions, they went out onto the trails to entice out an owl from the wild.
"We did this the same time last year," fisheries and wildlife senior Allison Pierce said. She is an assistant naturalist at the nature center.
"We use a tape of owl calls, and last year we actually got a barred owl to answer," Pierce said.
Pierce and 2003 MSU graduate Sarah Kilgore guided groups through Harris' trails using flashlights covered in red cellophane to protect the owls' night vision.
Visitors must be very quiet in order for the owl sighting to be successful, Kilgore said.
"This gives people the chance to see the trails at night when normally the park would be closed," Kilgore said.
