America plans to kill 450,000 owls

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a plan to kill 450,000 owls arriving from abroad to save an endangered native owl species, according to the Washington Post.

The newspaper described the plan as controversial, while the Fish and Wildlife Service indicated that it may be the only way to save the spotted owl, whose population has declined significantly in recent decades, due to competition for food and shelter from owl species coming from abroad.

The plan has divided wildlife advocates, with some accusing the authority of recklessness, while others believe that massive hunting of owl species coming from abroad is necessary to save endangered species.

“Agreeing on the plan was not easy. We have a legal responsibility to do everything we can to conserve endangered native owl species,” Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Robin Bown said.

He pointed out that some areas where about 200 spotted owls lived in the early 2000s now include two or three of that type.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service biologist noted that people trained in firearms would walk through the forests at night carrying rifles, flashlights and loudspeakers to shoot owls coming from outside. He added: "Once the owl settles on a nearby tree, shooters must identify it by the stripe-shaped spots in its brown and white feathers as well as by its voice, and then shoot it."

He said that the carcasses of owls could be buried in the same location or used for scientific research. The US Fish and Wildlife Service said that shooters must provide documents proving their training and experience in identifying owls and using firearms to hunt them.