The owl population in Nepal is in danger. Their smuggling has greatly increased in recent times owing to the belief in parts of Central Asia, China, India and Vietnam that they bring good luck. Experts are worried that owls may completely dis­appear from Nepal. Among 225 species of owls in the world, Nepal has 22. “Nepal government has not paid any attention toward its conser­vation,” says Raju Acharya, who conducts studies about owls in Nepal. By contrast, he points out, South Africa has taken many steps to protect its owls.

 

According to a study by Friends of Nature Nepal, an NGO, around 2,000 owls are smuggled alive from Nepal every year. They are mostly used for medical purposes. Magicians also use them. In China and Vietnam, owls are even used for making alco­hol. There is a superstitious belief in China that drinking alcohol made with owls kept in a bottle for 10 years cures arthritis. “In India, religious priests purportedly use it to cure various illnesses, which is also why smuggling of owls out of Nepal has increased in recent times,” says Acharya, who has visited 46 districts to study Nepali owls.

 

Owls are used to kill rats in Africa and Malaysia, he informs. An owl, in the pro­cess of giving birth and tend­ing to its offspring, can con­sume as many as 3,000 rats. This is one good reason why Nepal should also conserve its owls, Acharya says.

 

Though exact statistics on owls in Bardiya are missing, locally, owls are mostly found in community forests and the Bardiya National Park, says the park’s Chief Conservation Officer Manoj Shah. “Thieves and smugglers pose a big threat to conservation of owls. They take the offspring away from the nest, raise them and sell them,” he informs. If a person is found killing, raising or harming owls, they can be fined Rs 50,000, be jailed for three months to two years, or get both the punishments.