“This festival is much more than a just fanfare. Besides raising awareness about the conservation of owls, it will also boost eco-tourism in the area in the long run if the locals come forward in the preservation of these birds. Owls are the second most important scavenger of nature after vultures,” said chief of the Gaurishankar Conservation Area Project (GCAP) Satya Narayan Sah.
Owls are said to be friends of farmers as one family of owls can eat nearly 3,000 rats, which would damage crops, in four months.
Despite being the threatened species, they have not been included in the list of protected birds in the country yet nor has there been any programme and study dedicated to finding out the status of owls, complain birds experts.
“If we want to conserve this important species of birds, we must include them among other nine species of protected birds and start treating owls as an integral part of wildlife.
Likewise, illegal poaching and trafficking of owls should be closely monitored and punished,” said Acharya, calling for a baseline study in the Tarai, Hills and Mountain regions for gathering comprehensive information on their status and comparing their numbers in future.
Owls are said to be friends of farmers as one family of owls can eat nearly 3,000 rats, which would damage crops, in four months.
Despite being the threatened species, they have not been included in the list of protected birds in the country yet nor has there been any programme and study dedicated to finding out the status of owls, complain birds experts.
“If we want to conserve this important species of birds, we must include them among other nine species of protected birds and start treating owls as an integral part of wildlife.
Likewise, illegal poaching and trafficking of owls should be closely monitored and punished,” said Acharya, calling for a baseline study in the Tarai, Hills and Mountain regions for gathering comprehensive information on their status and comparing their numbers in future.
