We give a hoot!
Owls often eat pests such as rats and insects, and are really important to the ecosystem. Why, then, do so few people worry about their welfare?
Owls are some of the most fascinating and beautiful creatures of not just the sky, but arguably all of the animal kingdom.
Over the years, they’ve occupied an important place in culture, religion and legend, often representing wisdom, vigilance and even wickedness. In South Africa, many cultures have been wary or downright afraid of these large-eyed, powerful hunters who roam the night sky.
“It’s become better over time. They’re not as scared of them as they used to be. The problem is that they just don’t understand them. When we explain to people that owls catch rats, they suddenly start to like them,” Project Coordinator Delina Chipape from EcoSolutions said after carefully taking a spotted owl from a box where she was recovering from an injury.
This beautiful spotted owl doesn’t have a name, as the owner of the farmland just outside of Muldersdrift believes that they are not to be kept as pets. She had simply put up the five owl boxes on her property so that the owls could have a safe place to live. The spotted owl is also referred to as a ‘she’, but there really is no way to tell if it’s male or female.
“It just feels like a she,” the owner of the property said.
Delina and her crew had come to this farm on the day to ‘ring’ the newly born Barn Owls. This, in layman’s terms, is the simple method of placing a metal ring around one of the bird’s legs. This helps to identify them if they are ever found again. It also helps to catalogue how many of which types of owls are in South Africa.
This was the first time that the owl box at the top of the two storey home was opened since the owlets were born, as the box was placed so very high up. Luckily, the mother was not there at that moment, as she would’ve been very upset with someone messing about in her home and taking out her babies. The owner was surprised that the box contained three owlets, and that they were already far larger than anyone had guessed.
The owlets were very calm and looked around at every face with a lot of curiosity. Delina held each owlet as gently as she could while owl ringer Hussein Moyo fastened the rings. Only one owl, after the deed had been done, chomped at their hands, more playfully than anything else.
“Their beaks aren’t the problem. Their talons are very strong and can hurt you, because they use them to hunt,” Hussein said.
