By Sonica Naudé-Steyn

A little barn owlet is safe and sound and recovering nicely at the African Raptor Centre and Raptor Rescue thanks to a team effort which ensured its rescue after falling from its nest in Kokstad.
According to Enadi Dixon of local animal welfare organisation, Paws of Hope, they were contacted by concerned locals who found the owl chick which had fallen from its nest.
“We immediately contacted Ben and Jacqui from African Raptor Centre who then gave us guidance how to handle the chick and what emergency diet we could feed it. We estimate that the owlet was between 10 and 18 days old. We also started making arrangements to get the chick to them,” said Enadi.
The African Raptor Centre is based at Tala Collection Game Reserve in KZN and cares for more than 100 non-releasable birds of prey of over 35 species.
According to Enadi the biggest challenge during the rescue was to find transportation for the owlet from Kokstad to the centre. Fortunately, Boxer Superstores came to the rescue with a driver collecting the owlet in Kokstad and meeting the African Raptor team in Harding.
The rescue was however more challenging with the African Raptor team experiencing a burst tyre on the trip, however a good Samaritan from the Department of Transport came to their assistance and helped to change the tyre. Organisation sponsors also came to the rescue and funds were secured for a replacement tyre.
The owlet, named Crystal (after Kokstad’s Crystal Springs dam) is now safely at the centre and its rehabilitation is going well. It even has a few new friends with an additional three owlets being rescued, joining Crystal in the rehabilitation programme. It is hoped that Crystal will be released into the wild as soon as the owlet is strong and old enough to survive on its own.
“This rescue was not only special but also very educational. We learned so much about the care of baby owls. We urge the community that if they are aware of owl nest in their area, to please not use rat poison in the nearby area to prevent the unintentional poisoning of owls. We also urge community members to contact us if they need assistance with any animal welfare situation. We will always try to help where we can,” said Enadi.
According to Enadi, Paws of Hope is currently in the process of applying for a permit to further assist with the rescue of wild birds and plan to work together with the African Raptor Centre for future rescues within the Kokstad area.
To contact the African Raptor Centre for more information or to donate to the organisation, please contact the Raptor Rescue Hotline on 082 3590900 or the African Raptor Centre on 071 6725953.