UTRECHT – The Utrecht city ecologists are angry. Five young have disappeared from a little owl box in Leidsche Rijn, a nest check showed this morning. Urban ecologist Gideon Vreeman suspects that they have been robbed and that human actions are involved. “They were most likely captured to become cage birds. They can bring in a lot of money at fairs, because keeping birds is unfortunately not punishable. I can’t think of any other reason why you would otherwise take owls out of a cupboard.”
Young little owls disappeared in Leidsche Rijn: ‘Most likely robbed for trade’
