Bird Lady nurses owlets back to health
A visit to the birds last week at the centre, showed their growth and improved eating habits.
Within a few weeks, the barn owlets who were recently rescued have regained their strength and are in fact thriving, said ‘Bird Lady’, Sylva Francis.
The four owlets were discovered by Nkosinathi Milanzi, on the floor of his workshop in Blaauwbosch on June 5.
Unfortunately one of the owlets had already died. The surviving three feathery birds were surrendered to the SPCA for specialised care.
SPCA Inspector, Suveshin Naidoo explained the owlets were taken to the Ncandu Veterinary Clinic, where another one unfortunately had to be euthanised.
The surviving two owlets were placed in the care of Sylva Francis, who operates a local bird rehabilitation centre.
A visit to the birds last week at the centre, showed their growth and improved eating habits.
Francis added the owlets were around four to six weeks old and were being fed day-old chickens enriched with calcium and vitamins.
“Barn owls are territorial; they stay in the same area. They are monogamous, which means they choose one partner for life and continuously lay eggs. In a family of owls, there would be siblings of various ages. When the food runs out, the youngest one will die,” said Francis.
She stated the best way to rehabilitate owlets was to have the least amount of contact with them, to prevent them from imprinting on humans.
“Imprinting occurs when the animals start to think they are human, and lose their fear of human contact. Their wild instincts are no more, and it becomes difficult for them to adapt to the wildlife again. They are nice to cuddle but the less human contact, the better it is for the bird,” she added.
According to Francis, the two owlets will be taken to a farm outside Newcastle and set free in a process known as a soft release.
“This process can take two weeks or more. The birds are left in the same cage for 14 days, to get them used to the environment.”
According to Francis, the birds will still be fed, but are gradually left to fly out and hunt for food on their own.
“The day-old chicken won’t taste as appetising as a warm fat rat, and they will leave the cage and return to the wild.”
What to do if you discover owlets:
“Owls live in closed environments such as roofs and barns. I encourage people to leave the owls alone when they find them. Unless the animal is in danger, do not intervene,” she advised.
Facts about owls:
- Owls are nocturnal birds – they fly at night.
- One ear of the owl is higher than the other, which allows them to pinpoint their prey even in the darkest conditions.
- Barn owls are common throughout the world.
ALSO READ: Owlets given a second chance
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