Posted on 02 November
2010
Use of owls in black magic and sorcery driven
by superstition, totems and taboos is one
of the prime drivers of the covert owl trade,
finds a TRAFFIC India investigation
into the illegal trade, trapping and utilization
of owls in India.
TRAFFIC India’s report
entitled “Imperilled Custodians of the Night”
was launched today by Shri Jairam Ramesh,
Hon. Minister of Environment and Forests
at his office in New Delhi.
Hunting of and trade
in all Indian owl species is banned under
the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 of India.
While the exact number
of owls traded each year countrywide is
unknown, it certainly runs into thousands
of individuals and there are anecdotal reports
of owls becoming rare throughout India due
to loss of suitable habitat especially old
growth forests.
In light of such reports,
TRAFFIC is calling for measures including
better law enforcement to curb the trade
in owls immediately.
TRAFFIC also calls for
raising awareness of the beneficial and
vital role of owls in the ecosystem, the
birds being of particular benefit to farmers
through their predation of rodents and other
crop pests.
The sacrifice of owls
on auspicious occasions appears to be a
regular practice and TRAFFIC warns of a
possible increase in owl trade and sacrifice
around Diwali, the Festival of Light, which
this year is on 5th November.
Shaman or black magic
practitioners frequently referred to as
tantriks in India, prescribe the use of
owls and their body parts such as skull,
feathers, ear tuffs, claws, heart, liver,
kidney, blood, eyes, fat, beak, tears, eggshells,
meat and bones for ceremonial pujas and
rituals.
Of the 30 owl species
recorded from India, 15 have been recorded
by this study in the domestic live bird
trade. Owl species most highly sought after
by traders are large species, especially
those with false “ear-tufts” (actually feather
extensions on the head), which are thought
to bestow greater magical properties on
the birds.
However, trade includes
both large (e.g. Rock Eagle-Owl) & small
(e.g. Spotted Owlet) owl species inhabiting
areas as varied as urban settings and forest
or riverine tracts with the main centres
for the illicit trade located in Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Bihar, according
to TRAFFIC.
Shri Jairam Ramesh,
Hon. Minister of Environment and Forest
said at the launch, “Diwali should be a
time for celebration across our nation,
not one when our wildlife is plundered to
feed ignorant superstition. India's wildlife
already faces many pressures; the additional
burden of being killed out of ignorance
and fear is not one that has any place in
our modern society”.
“Owls are as important
to our ecosystem as the Tigers or any other
better known charismatic species. It is
important that the threat to owls is brought
to light during the festival of Diwali and
concrete ground action is undertaken to
curb such trade” he further added.
The TRAFFIC investigation
also finds that besides black magic, owls
are trapped and traded for use in street
performances; killed for taxidermy and for
their meat; their parts are used in folk
medicines; even their claws and feathers
are sometimes used in headgear. Live owls
are also used as decoys to catch other bird
species.
In addition, the investigation
recorded 15 owl species in trade including
the spotted owlet, barn owl, rock-eagle
owl, jungle owlet, collared scops-owl, brown
fish-owl, dusky eagle-owl, mottled wood-owl,
Asian barred owlet, collared Owlet, brown
wood-owl, oriental scops-owl, spot-bellied
eagle-owl, tawny fish-owl and the eastern
grass-owl.
