Rehabilitation three owlets at Bryanston
The spotted eagle-owl also known as the African spotted eagle-owl and the African eagle-owl, is a medium-sized species of owl, one of the smallest of the eagle owls.
After the devastating hailstorm that hit some areas in Joburg North, three owlets were rescued at the Nestle building in Bryanston.
According to Marianne Lombery, the business executive officer for Nestle Purina Petcare in Eastern and Southern Africa, she found the three babies on Tuesday morning.
“What was really special was that when I was leaving work, I found the members of the landscaping team, who had found a disrupted nest with three cute owlets.”
She added that, as a vet herself, she jumped straight in and worked together with the guys to take out the babies and put them in a box that she had in her car.
“I knew from seeing one of them quite weak that they needed specialist care, and even though all the vets in SA are trained to deal with animals, it takes a very special kind of training to be able to deal with wild animals. I knew I wasn’t the one, so I took them to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital.”
She explained that they were kept overnight and accessed, and one of the little ones was dehydrated, so it needed extra attention until the vet established that the babies were healthy enough to be released and allowed to live a normal life,
“The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital contacted us on Wednesday morning, asking if it will be possible for them to come back to where they were born and where the parents are so they can continue growing up in a family.”
Lombery highlighted that as Nestle, they believe in good food and a good life; people and pets are better together, so it was their privilege to say yes and welcome the owlets back.
As of November 17, the three owlets are now permanent parts of the Nestle Bryanston campus.
The EcoSolutions and the Owl Project came through with their kind hearts and donated an owl box house for the owlets, where its members Sara Orchardson, Steven Ncube, and Bilton Singini came and installed a perfect little owl house in the tallest tree at the Nestle campus.
According to Dr Karin Louren from the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital, the owlets are now fine and ready to meet their parents again.
She added that for the past few days, they have been feeding owls and keeping them healthy.
“They are a few weeks old, and they are the spotted eagle owls; soon they will have their adult feathers and start flying.”
Louren added that rat poison can have a severe impact on owls.
“When rodents consume poison and are subsequently eaten by owls, the poison can accumulate in the food chain, causing harm to these creatures. I am advising community members to not use rat poison; they protect these creatures as they are an important asset to our ecosystem.”
She concluded by saying that avoiding the use of rat poison not only helps protect owls but also contributes to the overall health of the ecosystem.
Fun facts about Spotted Eagle Owls:
Spotted eagle owls (Bubo africanus) are known for their remarkable ability to adapt to various environments. They can be found in a wide range of habitats across sub-Saharan Africa, including deserts, savannas, forests, and even urban areas. These adaptable birds are quite comfortable nesting and living in close proximity to human settlements, making them one of the more urban-tolerant owl species on the African continent.
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