Cedar Lakes residents give a hand for the owls

Tyto and Alba, two African barn owls, may not have had the easiest start in life, but the residents of Cedar Lakes Estate are caring for the birds so that they can be released into the wild again.

The two juvenile barn owls were rescued from a ceiling in Diepsloot by EcoSolutions and are now part of an owl project which sees volunteer individuals or organisations care for the animals until they are ready to be released back in the wild. Tyto and Alba are currently being cared for by the Cedar Lakes Estate community.

On 3 July, EcoSolutions staff members went to see the birds and also ring them for research purposes.

“These barn owls are still juveniles and we’ve been caring for them since June,” said Mike Prior who lives in Cedar Lakes.

“I’m in charge of the 20 volunteers who care for the birds. Every evening at about six o’clock we take turns to feed them, and in the mornings, I visit to see how much they have eaten.”

The owls have been placed in an enclosure behind the Cedar Lakes clubhouse, where they are protected but will also not become too attached to humans. On the day the birds were ringed, members of the community were present to watch the ringing, learn about the creatures and even had the option to pet one.

Sara Orchardson and Hussien Moyo of EcoSolutions chatted to attendees about the birds.

“The owls come from either the SPCA or the Johannesburg Wildlife vet and cannot be replaced in their nesting site for whatever reason,” Orchardson explained.

“Jonathan Haw began the project about 15 years ago because of the number of owls being rescued. Estates and schools are always welcome to get involved with the release programme. They can contact us to find out more.”

Tyto and Alba were released a few days after the ringing, and if they are found again, the metal rings on their legs will help researchers understand where they came from and how far they’ve travelled.

Details: delina@owlproject.org; 072 365 9777.