Guest guest Posted May 3, 2002 Report Share Posted May 3, 2002 http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20020502p2a00m0fp014000c.html Missing wild owls suspected of being poached HIGASHIMATSUYAMA, Saitama -- A wild owl and its two chicks that were found inhabiting a forest here in mid-April have been missing since last Monday, a local resident said Thursday. Prefectural government officials in charge of protecting wild life suspect that the owls may have been poached, a practice prohibited by the Law concerning Protection of Wildlife and Game. " If someone took them in order to sell the chicks, it's outrageous, " one of them, 60-year-old Shin Suzuki, said. Masaharu Tsujimoto, 79, a former elementary school principal living in Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture, found the chicks on a slope of the forest in Higashimatsuyama while he was hiking on April 19. He later found their mother near the chicks. However, the three birds disappeared last Monday and have not since been seen. Tsujimoto immediately alerted the prefectural government. Officials who inspected the area did not find any white feathers of the chicks that should have been scattered around their nest if they had been attacked by a wild animal. Owls are becoming increasingly popular as pets following the release of the movie, " Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone, " and their retail prices have sharply risen, says Noboru Furukawa, 67, an education commentator who is also familiar with the ecology of owls. " I don't think pet shops are selling wild owls. But owls that have been tamed by people since they were chicks are priced at some 200,000 yen each. There may be a black market for owls, " the owner of a pet shop in Tokyo's Nakano-ku who spoke on condition of anonymity said. According to the Saitama Prefectural Government's red data book on endangered species, only 10 cases of owls breeding have been confirmed in the prefecture in recent years. Those who poach wild owls could face up to one year in prison, or a fine up to 500,000 yen under the Law concerning Protection of Wildlife and Game. (Mainichi Shimbun, May 2, 2002) Health - your guide to health and wellness http://health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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