On Show

I’m torn. In Edinburgh, a Eurasian eagle-owl is shown off to the public. Now I understand that the people who look after these amazing animals need money for their upkeep and earn this by showing them to the public in the street. They appear well looked after and seem pretty content. However, I still keep asking myself, should they be on the streets of Edinburgh city centre being surrounded by people? They maybe tame but does that still warrant them being paraded around and held by members of the public like a tourist attraction. On the other hand it does create awareness of how amazing these birds are and how they must be protected. It’s bitter sweet.

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo), also called the European eagle-owl is one of the largest species of owl. Females can grow to a total length of 75 cm (30 in), with a wingspan of 188 cm (6 ft 2 in), males being slightly smaller.

The heavy owl has prominent ear-tufts and powerful feathered talons. They are active mainly at dusk to dawn and roost by day singly or in pairs in trees or in rock crevices. Flight is silent, with soft wingbeats interrupted by gliding when flying over a long distance. They are master hunters and will eat almost anything that moves.