Wildlife scientist Joseph Edebe examines one of the rescued owlets at KWS Nakuru office last weekend. [Harun Wathari, Standard]
A wildlife activist, Geoffrey Muigai, has handed over "lost" owlets to the Kenya Wildlife Service after staying with them for seven days.
The six owlets were found in a house under construction in Elburgon area, Njoro Sub-county, and delivered to KWS last Friday.
However, with dominating beliefs that links the nocturnal birds with bad omen, the locals wanted to set them ablaze but the building owner contacted Mr Muigai for advice.
Muigai said he tried calling the KWS hotline but the phone went unanswered. This prompted him to take the initiative to deliver the birds. He had to travel 40km to Nakuru KWS offices.
"I carried the owlets in a large red container in one hand and in the other, a sanitiser and a brown envelope bearing permit papers to allow me ferry the owlets," he said.
He fed the owlets on rabbits and gave them water for a week as he sought for the permit.
His mission ended at Lake Nakuru National Park KWS office where he handed the birds to the senior warden Collins Ochieng and research scientist Joseph Edebe.
“Such efforts are laudable. It shows the passion and greater need for communities to demystify myths,” Mr Ochieng said.
The birds have been moved to the Raptor Rehabilitation Centre in Nairobi.
