Barn Owls as pets!!!!
Most concerned today!! We saw a couple of large guys with 3 Barn Owl chicks, of about 6 weeks of age, out by Wooler Common Ponds. They had placed one chick onto the branch of a tree and were taking multiple photos of it. I guess they would be doing the same with the other two in turn. I enquired whether they were going to release them in time, but one guy said that he reared birds of prey and these would go to other people. I then ask if they were for display purposes but he replied that they were going as pets!! Unbelievable that some people should want a Barn Owl as a pet and that the guy was obviously selling them for a profit. I suppose that the photos would have been posted on line and the birds would be passed onto the highest bidders. Disgraceful. I see that the Barn Owl Trust doesn't recommend them that they be kept as pets but it obviously allowed in this country. However the United States does not allow private individuals to keep native owls as pets--they may only be possessed by trained, licensed individuals while being rehabilitated, as foster parents in a rehabilitation facility, as part of a breeding program, for educational purposes. I wonder why we don't follow this practice.
Rant over.
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I couldn't agree more. As a child a friend had a pet jackdoor and later a tawny owl. Both had been found injured and nursed back to health by him. Neither could have been released back into the wild. The jackdoor raised from a chick, became almost inseparable from my friend and would fly free, rather weakly, outside in and around his garden returning to its aviary each night. That was some 60 years ago mind!
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It just so happens that I've got a photo of both the birds, 2 in a box and the one on the tree, and the car of that the 2 guys were in. I've already sent an e-mail to to the BOT to see what they have to say before I forward any photos.
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+ 1 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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Good for you Nellie. My Aunt had a couple of owls many years ago, both rescued injured, unable to go back to wild. She spent a fortune on them ensuring they had a good life, took them into the odd school to help children understand a bit more about them. They were never stroked or petted.
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Check out the Barn Owl Trust for details about keeping Barn Owls in captivity, considering them as pets (not advised) and other requirements etc.
I see you have looked at this Nellie but it certainly gives out the most comprehensive advice and information.
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Apart from the actual incident what got to me was the blatant way they were doing it, right next to a public footpath. I would have thought that they would have taken the birds away to a place well away from the public to take the photos.
Thanks for your support. I will keep you all updated if and when the BOT get in touch.,
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It’s a tough one for me NTH.
I was on a CL site just outside Bridlington two years ago and the owner had a young Barn Owl that he kept very good care of, even down to weighing any food each day to make sure it stayed healthy. It would be released to fly free each day and it returned to his glove for food. It was a beautiful bird and he allowed my OH to wear the glove for it to land on. She was over the moon.
As a wild-life lover I would rather see them in the wild though.
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No word yet from the Barn Owl Trust, so disappointed. I might repost to BTO and see what they have to say, if anything!
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Tell them a Radio station have contacted you Nells, it’ll renew their interest, it works with the RSPCA-not interested until they think they can big themselves up👍🏻, sad but true😕
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I've sent the details to the RSPB tonight so watch this space.
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Just a quick update.
It's been over a week since I sent my e-mail to the Barn Owl Trust and I've not had a reply from them!! The RSPB did respond saying "Barn owls can be legally kept as pets if they have been reared in captivity, are fitted with a microchip or loose ring and have a licence known as an Article 10 which is issued by the government.". They went on to say that I should contact the RSPCA with my concerns.....talk about passing the buck! I suspect that I'd get a similar response from them, as I've no actual photos of the guys or of the poor chick as it fell from the tree.
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NTH, does that mean that these ones are legal as they are being reared from chicks?
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Without actually asking the guys if they'd the relevant license one would never know. It's not right though, IMO.
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Correct, OP. It's a bit late now to do anything about it I guess. I just wonder why the BOT have not had the decency to respond to my e-mail..
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They probably appear when a recruitment drive is needed Muscles🤷🏻♂️😕
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If you look on the RSPB web site they have a section about wild birds and the law. If anyone has concerns for the welfare of birds there is a contact number and how to report a suspected crime in detail. The section also gives a lot more information about Wild Birds and the Law.
Here's the crime report >LINK<
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Whereas they use social media to get donations, plus if folk use social media it may be a complaint because they ignore complaints to them personally. Me?, I’ll always use social media when any big business leaves folk wanting. The days of ‘give us money & go away’ is over.
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