Two barn owls went missing from Thrissur Zoo on Wednesday. The birds were stolen after the lock of the cage was broken open. The officials noticed the theft in the morning during the regular inspection. The Town East police has registered case and started investigation.Smuggling of barn owls (Tyto alba), a protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, has been on the rise of late, according to forest officials. The birds, are suspected to be used for black magic, to bring luck in business. Rumours about these owls blood being effective to cure certain diseases such as asthma have put their life in jeopardy.According to unofficial sources, a bird would fetch between Rs.1 lakh and Rs.1.5 lakh. The practice of black magic is said to be common in north Indian States.
P.O. Nameer, Associate Professor (Wildlife) and Head of the Centre for Wildlife Studies College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, said that the barn owl was one of the commonest owls in the country. “They live near human habitations and feed on rats. A pair of owls on an average eats 10 rats a day. So they are in fact friends of farmers.”Whenever these birds were caught from human habitations, they were released into the forest. “But barn owls are not forest species,” Mr. Nameer noted.Barn owls have heart-shaped faces with marble-like eyes.They are also known as ghost owls and demon owls.
The Hindu, November 5th , 2009
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