THE Republic-based Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) is warning against keeping wild animals as pets after the discovery of two owls in cramped conditions.
The call came after ISPCA inspector Karen Lyons recently discovered a barn owl and Bengal eagle owl living in such confinement that they were unable to fly.
Both birds, plus a Belgian giant breed rabbit and her six babies, two yellow bellied turtles and three kittens, were all signed over to the ISPCA by their owners. Ms Lyons moved the owls to the Kildare Animal Foundation Wildlife Unit, where they have since been learning to fly.
“They sadly had never had to room to experience this necessary and instinctive behaviour. The confinement of the two owls was unacceptable. These types of birds need expert care and handling and it was obvious that their needs were not being met. How these birds were acquired is still being investigated, but we would urge the public to consider that keeping any wild animal in a home environment is inadvisable. They require specialised habitats, feeding and care that are extremely difficult to provide,” she said.
The barn owl, called ‘scréachóg reilige’ in Irish, has seen its numbers decline dramatically across the island of Ireland because of loss of habitat, ie old farm buildings etc.
It is believed that there are fewer than 40 breeding pairs left in Northern Ireland alone. For more information visit http://www.ulsterwildlife.org/barnowl.
The Bengal or Indian eagle owl is from Asia and is not native to Ireland.
