Fired up

Grass Owls’ narrow escape

- 

On the evening of 13 July 2106 I received a WhatsApp message to the effect that Marsh Owl chicks had been rescued from a veld fire in the Greater Kyalami Conservancy (GEKCO). From photographs accompanying the message I immediately realised that the chicks were not Marsh Owl but African Grass Owl Tyto capensis, a Red Data species in South Africa. I managed to contact the person responsible for the rescue, Sophia Combrink, and she told me what had happened.

That morning, a veld fire had blazed through the open grassland next to her property. ‘As I was keeping an eye on the fire from our veranda, I noticed that two tiny owls were crouched in the corner of our property, just out of reach of the heat and burning veld,’ she explained. The owl chicks had somehow managed to make it past two electric fences into the safety of Sophia’s garden and appeared unharmed. Concerned for the chicks and unsure what to do, Sophia phoned Friends of Free Wildlife, who advised her to catch the young birds using a towel, put them in a box and take them to the nearest vet in case they needed treatment.

Only one chick was visible when Sophia returned to the veranda, so she assumed that the other one had flown away. She managed to catch the remaining chick and took it to Friends of Free Wildlife. On returning home, she and her husband Jaco noticed that the second chick was in fact hiding in nearby shrubs. Jaco suggested they telephone the Owl Rescue Centre for assistance and Brendan Murray responded to the call. He informed Sophia and Jaco that the birds they had rescued were not Marsh Owls but African Grass Owls, a special species. ‘We were super chuffed and took care of the chick with extra caution through the night,’ said Sophia.