I was doing some work with the museums in downtown Santa Fe a few years back. Some of the guys told me that while they were tearing down one building to build a new one, they discovered an owl’s nest in the attic that was full of dog and cat collars.
For any locals there, it was a building right behind the Palace of the Governors. This was 2005-ish.
People tend to ignore the fact the “wise ol’ owl” is a predator,a meat-eater, not a nuts and berries bird.
Just like the “noble” eagle is a bird of prey;which is why Ben Franklin thought it unsuitable as the symbol for our young nation.However based on the manifest destiny,and latent imperialism of the government and many others,the bird of prey turns out to be a realistic avatar.
Why we should even need or want an animal symbol is another matter.