India Blames Harry Potter for Dwindling Owl Population
India's Environment minister Jairam Ramesh is blaming J.K. Rowling's fictional boy wizard Harry Potter for contributing to a sharp drop in the nation's population of wild owls.
He linked the popularity of the book and film series to an uptick in demand for owls which are sold by illegal bird traders. "Following Harry Potter, there seems to be a strange fascination even among the urban middle classes for presenting their children with owls," according to Ramesh.
Ramesh made his comments in conjunction with the release of a report by an Indian conservation group detailing the threats to the local owl population.
The report's author, Abrar Ahmed, noted that "theme parties" are becoming fashionable in India and he recounted how a friend asked him to help get a live white-colored owl for her 10-year-old son's Harry Potter-themed birthday party.
"Perplexed, I asked if I was to provide the owl as a gift or whether it was required for some black magic ritual on her son's birthday. She quickly clarified: "No, the party theme is `Harry Potter' and we want to have `Hedwig' - Harry's pet owl. Please ask someone to capture and bring the owl to us. We can pay the cost."
In India, owls are prized and in demand for black magic purposes. But Harry Potter is not the only culprit in the dwindling number of wild owls in India. The report points to a growing illegal trade in owls, which it notes is quite lucrative "for several tribes connected with the bird trade, several of whom make a living from the owl trade. Amongst tribal communities, there appears to be little appreciation of current wildlife laws."
Although India's owls are protected by law, about half of India's 30 owl species are likely to be found on sale in markets, the report says. It also noted that prices for illegally-traded owls have been on the climb since 2002.