Hedwig problems (aka rampid stupidity)

[macloudt]

This article is in today's Weston and Somerset Mercury, the local 
paper for my town of Weston-super-Mare in southwest England.  If I 
live to be 100, homo sapiens' basic stupidity will never cease to 
amaze me.

"Harry starts owl craze" by Christine Lewis

Parents in Somerset are snapping up owls as Christmas presents for 
their children as Harry Potter mania grows.

Pet shops and bird breeders are being inundated with orders for owls 
for youngsters, who want a pet just like their movie hero.

But animal lovers urges parents this week:  "Do not give your child 
an owl for Christmas"

They fear that children could be harmed by a wild owl or will quickly 
tire of a tame bird and release it into the wild, where it will soon 
die.

[...]

Owl experts say the birds can be dangerous with their sharp talons 
and beaks.  They live for up to 50 years, need cleaning, exercising 
every day and a diet of raw chicks, mice or rats.

Mercury wildlife expert Gary Sealey said:  "I've had 50 calls from 
people wanting an owl in the past week and I've told people not to 
get one.

"They are beautiful and charming and probably the most adorable of 
all birds, but they need constant attention.

"They should never be kept in a cage like they are in the film.  They 
should always be kept in an aviary."

[...]

"People interested in owls should support organisations trying to 
preserve them, rather than aim to keep them as pets", said Mr. 
[Chris] Sperring [of the Hawk and Owl Trust].

Falconer Chris Lock...said:  "There are unscrupulous breeders who 
will be prepared to sell an owl to anybody."

Pauline Kidner, of Secret World animal rescue centre...said: "...you 
can buy a pair of barn owls for £40 and there is nothing to stop 
people keeping them in a rabbit hutch, which is not suitable".

                              *****

For our non-British friends who may not be aware of this point, barn 
owls numbers are falling sharply as their natural habitat 
disappears.  There are several organizations trying to increase barn 
owl numbers both through preserving natural habitats and through 
breeding programs.  But even without these facts, what kind of 
parents in their right minds would blindly give in to demands for a 
pet owl from their very own ickle Duddikins?  The mind boggles...

Mary Ann
(who has a really groovy barn owl cross stitch kit, and is content 
with just having that)