Grade 8 hostel boys to become surrogate parents to owls
HOUGHTON – The owls were introduced to the Grade 8 hostel boys, ringed and placed in a pen where they will be fed and tended to by the learners for three to four weeks.
Grade 8 hostel residents at King Edward VII School (Kes) took on the responsibility of becoming surrogate parents to three barn owls on 8 April.
Ecologist at EcoSolutions Sara Orchardson said the three owls were collected by the Germiston SPCA and kept for a few weeks at the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital before arriving at Kes.
“The owlets are between eight and 10 weeks old. The first prize is to find out where they come from and return them, but since we have no history on these owls, we opted for a soft release programme,” Orchardson explained.
The owls were introduced to the Grade 8 hostel boys, ringed and placed in a pen where they will be fed and tended to by the learners for three to four weeks.
Boys will feed each owl three chicks per day and create a feeding call. Then when the owls are released, the boys will continue to feed the owls using the call until the owls can fend for themselves.
“Kes has been part of our owl release programme for a number of years. We opt to house the owls here because it’s a perfect environment for a soft release as the school has lots of sports fields and open spaces for hunting and schools attract litter, which in turn attract rats, which the owls feed on.”
Orchardson said EcoSolutions judged the success of the project based on educational outcomes.
“We want to create a poison-free environment for these owls to live,” she said.
Boarding housemaster Ian van Vollenhoven said, “We have been part of the project in the past and kids have been keen to get involved. We want to revive the programme and share information with the children and also break the stigma around owls. It is also of great benefit to our school to have owls here as they help to keep rat and bird populations under control.”
Grade 8 learner Kai West said he was excited to look after the owls.
“It’s so cool because they live right next to me and I can see them three or four times a day. I’m excited for my chance to feed the owls,” added West.
Details: www.ecosolutions.co.za
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