Superstition – there is no quick fix
Owls are beautiful and mystical creatures, and it is with great sadness that I read reports of some of the birds being killed in townships around Johannesburg, most recently, Alexandra.
The birds of prey have been placed in townships as part of an initiative to eradicate rats.
The mind boggles as to why these birds were placed in an area where the community was not ready to accept them in the first place. Many South African’s are superstitious of owls and placing these precious creatures in harms way is not fair on the owl, or the community.
There are organisations in Joburg that try to educate communities about owls to allay fears about these superstitions, but clearly this has failed.
I know a six-year-old girl who is terrified of dogs. I have taken her to Animal Ark Centre and showed her sweet little puppies, and am constantly reassuring her that dogs will not harm her. Some days are better than others, and sometimes she will touch a dog, but on our next visit she will be reluctant to do so.
I can draw parallels between the two scenarios.
An organisation cannot spend just a day educating a community about owls when superstitions about the birds run deep. Trying to change human beliefs takes years – if it can be done at all.
If there was a rat infestation in my area and the City of Joburg announced they were going to release snakes in the area to eat the rats, I would completely freak. They could tell me that the snakes were non-venomous and they would not harm me, but I would not be happy. So without condoning the killing of owls in townships, I can say that I understand the communities’ reluctance to accept the birds.
The owl idea was a good one, but more education and time will be needed to solve the problem.
Related article:
Alex residents kill owls because they are used for ‘witchcraft’
