CCTV footage from Coca-Cola's Midrand plant shows the bird colliding with a window before succumbing to its injuries, says NSPCA.
The National Council of the Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (NSPCA) has cleared Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) of any wrongdoing in relation to the death of a barn owl.
Public outrage spiked in early October after reports that the owl had been killed at Coca-Cola’s Midrand bottling plant, prompting a swift response by the NSPCA.
The outrage led to calls for a boycott of Coca-Cola products, but the NSPCA’s investigation stated that the beverage manufacturer played no role in the owl’s death.
CCBSA thanked the NSPCA for their efforts and stated its acceptance of the outcome.
“We respect and appreciate the NSPCA’s thorough approach and their mandate to investigate matters concerning animal welfare. Our engagement with them has been constructive,” CCBSA spokesperson Amava Kamana told The Citizen.
“Our priority has been to clarify the facts, verified by our investigation and the NSPCA’s findings,”
CCTV footage key
The NSPCA released the findings of its investigation on Thursday, which was conducted by its Wildlife Protection Unit’s Chief Inspector, Douglas Wolhuter.
The investigation included interviews with Coca-Cola’s employees, access to the post-mortem report and viewing the CCTV footage from the night of the incident.
Employees recalled seeing the owl flying inside the facility on 7 October, reporting that it bumped into a glass window at roughly 10.30pm.
“After not being seen for a period, the owl is observed on the CCTV at 12.24am on 8 October, when it collided heavily with another internal glass door and fell to the ground, appearing injured, in a corner of a room,” the NSPCA stated.
“The owl briefly regained consciousness sometime thereafter, before succumbing to its injuries and was later found deceased by an employee at 2.20am,” the report states.
The post-mortem report stated that the owl died as a result of “internal bleeding within the skull, consistent with impact trauma”.
“There was no evidence of deliberate harm. The evidence confirms that the owl’s death resulted from an accidental collision, with no human involvement or intent,” stated the NSPCA.
Production stoppage disputed
On the morning of 8 October, a pest control company was called to the plant, which then called an owl rescue specialist to assist.
Brendan Murray from The Owl Rescue Project rushed to the site after the pest control company relayed the urgency of the situation.
“All production was stopped and Coca-Cola was losing hundreds of thousands in revenue,” Murray wrote on his Facebook page the following day.
While en route to Midrand at roughly 8am, Murray received another call, with the NSPCA confirming “the request was cancelled after it was confirmed that the owl had already died”.
Despite Murray’s request to assist, CCBSA then contacted the Gauteng Department of Environment, which authorised the transfer of the deceased owl to the Johannesburg Zoo, where the autopsy was conducted.
CCBSA disputed claims that their plant had ceased production temporarily while dealing with the owl.
“Our CCTV footage and operational logs confirm that the incident did not impact plant operations,” Kamana said.
Owl death ‘deeply regrettable’
In the days following the incident, Murray told The Citizen that CCBSA had ceased all communications with The Owl Rescue Project.
CCBSA have also been reluctant to share the CCTV footage, but has satisfied the NSPCA inspectors.
“Throughout the investigation, CCBSA and The Coca-Cola Company extended full cooperation to the NSPCA, providing unrestricted access to documentation, footage, and premises,” the NSPCA stated.
The animal protection body said it would engage with the drinks giant to raise awareness and promote ways to address similar situations.
“While the loss of wildlife remains deeply regrettable, such incidents highlight the growing overlap between industrial operations and natural habitats,” the NSPCA concluded.
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