NSPCA disputes claims that Alexandra residents are abusing owls

says it has evidence to proof residents are mistreating the owls.

It told the Saturday Star that the Sandton SPCA “did handle a case of cruelty to an owl at a school in Alexander township on September 16” where an owl was picked up after its legs had been cut off at a school.

The non-profit organisation cites a letter from Wentzel “confirming that the Sandton SPCA had in fact picked up that owl”. But Wentzel disputes this. “I don’t know where this comes from. I did communicate with the Owl Rescue Centre on the same day that there was an injured owl, but I never confir med with Brendan Murray (the founder of Owl Rescue Centre) what its injuries were.

“All I told them was that yes, Sandton had received an injured owl. But the owl had a broken wing and no other injuries. It had its legs. It was brought in by two children from Alex who wanted help for the owl.”

Murray is “going around saying owls are decapitated, their legs are cut off in Alex” but, she says, there is “no proof ” that has been presented.

“We do get owls in, of course, but not for those types of injuries.”

But Murray says his organisation has reports of “five or six dead owls in Alex” alone this year.

“(On September 16) children found the owl with a broken leg in a classroom and the SPCA came and collected the owl.

“We get inundated with calls of dead owls.

“A lot of our population are terrified of owls.

“They have been brought up believing owls are the devil’s bird.”

This week, in a letter from the Sandton SPCA, general manager Candice Scorer states that two children from Alexan- dra brought in a barn owl on September 16.

“The owl had a broken wing and was displaying symptoms of stress and shock.

“We admitted the owl and called Free Me rehabilitation centre as per our stipulated procedures.

“The owl passed away roughly 30 minutes after it had arrived at the Sandton SPCA. The owl had no identification ring and no other injuries.”