Cedar Lakes welcome three little birds
Three Barn Owls arrive from Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital after being rescued from a ceiling.
Three African barn owls arrived at the Cedar Lakes Owl Project for their journey to return to their wild ways.
The three juveniles were brought from the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital after being rescued from a ceiling and then taken to the SPCA in Benoni. The owls will be cared for by the owl project until they are ready to be released.
“Before they came here, they were checked by the Johannesburg Wildlife vet. We are here to care for and facilitate their release as they will fly away in a few weeks. This will now be more like their parent’s place where they can always come back when they need to before they turn six months old,” said Sara Orchardson of EcoSolutions.
According to bird specialist Arjen van Zwieten, the owls were strong and healthy but would need to learn how to hunt to better adapt in the wild. “Since they have been kept in captivity from a young age, they are very strong but in the wild, they are going to struggle as they haven’t learned how to hunt as yet. That’s why it will be beneficial for them to be released together so they share their kill but they adapt quickly so it is not a huge concern, ” said Van Zwieten.
The owls are being cared for in a way that they don’t become too attached and rely on humans.
The owl project is an NPO that was established to educate people about the importance and benefits of owls, while also debunking the myths around the creatures. The project also runs a release programme in schools and estates around Gauteng as part of conservation efforts and for the survival of owls to control the rodent population.
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