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Keeping an owl as a pet is only possible in certain cases. Owls are a protected species in Germany and cannot simply be purchased.
An owl as a pet: Why it’s not a good idea
Owls are considered very graceful animals. They radiate calm and impress us with their dense plumage and large round eyes. But as beautiful as the idea of owning your own owl is, they are not really suitable as pets.
- Owls are birds of prey. They need a special environment to satisfy their hunting instinct. They prefer to eat live prey such as mice, chicks, or guinea pigs and spurn meat from the store counter.
- Most species are nocturnal. This means that they need rest during the day in order to be able to hunt at night, which makes living with diurnal humans rather difficult.
- Owls also make a lot of noise. They make loud sounds, especially at night during the mating season.
- In order to keep them in a manner appropriate to their species, a large aviary is necessary, which makes this project almost impossible in an apartment or even in a garden. A snowy owl, for example, needs a cage that is at least two meters high and has a floor space of 18 m².
- Taming an owl would be a challenge that is almost impossible to overcome due to evolutionary reasons. A great deal of experience with these animals is necessary, otherwise they can seriously injure humans with their claws and beaks.
- And you should never keep an owl alone. The animals feel most comfortable with a permanent partner.
Strict regulations apply to the keeping of owls
In Germany, keeping owls is generally permitted, but a special permit from the veterinary office is required, as all owls found here are protected species.
- As a rule, a keeping permit is usually reserved for animal parks or zoos that have trained staff. This is because animal keepers must also be trained to handle raptors (hunters).
- And even if you want to keep the owl outdoors and let it fly regularly, you need a falconry hunting license so as not to violate applicable rules.
- If you feed an owl with live animals, you need a special permit from the veterinary office so as not to violate the Animal Carcass Disposal Act when you want to dispose of dead day-old chicks.
