A beloved Halifax mascot has finally made a friend and his health seems to be improving, according to the Ontario zoo where he is rehabilitating.

Merlin, the tawny owl ... it is home to a wide variety of bird, animal and plant life and, as an unfenced common, the whole area is open to the public 24 hours a day throughout the year.

He plucked his own feathers, a behaviour some birds exhibit when under ... display open to the public this summer if his progress continues. When Merlin arrived, Hipkiss said there were concerns ...