Locals take care of owls in the area
DAINFERN – Two barn owls have been cared for by volunteers inside Dainfern Golf Estate as part of EcoSolutions' Owl Box Project and will soon be released back into the wild.
The residents and nature committee of the Dainfern Golf Estate have been doing their part for owls in the area.
For the past few weeks Geraldine Harris, a Dainfern resident and member of the estate’s nature committee, has been feeding two barn owls in her care as part of EcoSolutions’ Owl Box Project. The owls, one male and one female, have been staying in a special pen on a green belt in the estate and were ringed for research purposes on 30 August by Hussein Moyo and Delina Chipape of the project.
“We’re on the nature committee, which has done a lot of work in the area during the last few years,” Harris explained.
“We’ve had many owl boxes [in the estate], but we haven’t been lucky enough to have owls so far. So we decided to become part of the Owl Box Project.
“One of the owls was rescued from a chimney, and the second one was handed in to a vet.”
Besides caring for the animals, Harris and her fellow committee members have also used the opportunity to educate the community about the dangers of poison on owls and other animals.
“There’s no such thing as ‘safe’ poison,” added Maureen van Jaarsveldt, a fellow committee member who was also present for the ringing.
“Even if it says ‘eco-friendly’, it is harmful for wildlife.”
Education is a central part of the Owl Box Project, according to Chipape, who is the project coordinator for the Owl Box Project.
“A release pen [like this one at Dainfern Estate] is ideal for anyone who wants to get involved,” she explained to the Fourways Review. “You can have one in a private residence, stables and even schools – we particularly like schools because it’s also a chance to educate children about the importance and benefits around owls, and we can also dispel any superstitions.”
Chipape went on to explain that the two barn owls at Dainfern would be released before sunrise on 6 September, one week after they were ringed, and will go through a soft release where they are freed from the pen, but can still eat food which is left out for them.
If you would like to learn more or become part of the Owl Box Project yourself, please contact Delina Chipape info@owlproject.org; delina@owlproject.org or call 076 360 9072.
