Protect animals from rat poison

Writer: Sue Holmes , Fernkloof Estate

For the past four years we have had a Cape spotted eagle owl nest on the ground in front of our house, in a lovely spot at the base of a gum tree with a small aloe in front for protection. I have been watching her for 5 – 6 weeks, and Daddy Owl was always in one of the trees keeping an eye on her.

Last week I went out and Mommy Owl was gone. There were two little fluff balls – one I thought was dead but the other was moving, so I presume it was alive, but with Daddy in the tree watching I was not going to go too close.

The next morning there were two little dead chicks, and the following day when I went looking for Mommy Owl, I found her dead, not far away. Daddy Owl was still keeping watch, having changed his position to enable him to watch both the nest and his mate.

When I took her body to the Hermanus Animal Hospital, the verdict was that it was more than likely poison, and they disposed of the body in the right way.

My plea to everyone is to not use rat poison. Poor Daddy Owl must have fed her a rat that had been poisoned… so sad.

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