IWMB releases Indian Owl after rehabilitation of specie

News Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) freed an injured Indian Eagle Owl after rehabilitation into the wild in Shah Allah Ditta on Thursday.

The Owl was rescued from the garden of a house in Sector E-11 of Islamabad. The Owl, scientifically named Bubo bengalensis is also known as the rock eagle owl and Bengal Eagle Owl is commonly found in the Margalla Hills National Park, particularly in the caves of Shah Allah Ditta.

An official of IWMB who was part of the rescue team said the Indian eagle-owl was a large horned owl species native to hilly and rocky scrub forests in the Indian Subcontinent.

He informed that the Owl was brought a couple of days back from Sector E-11 after a resident reported its presence in his house garden.

The injured owl was given proper treatment and rehab at the IWMB office and was later released into the wild after getting healthy, he added.

Earlier, IWMB Chairperson Rina Saeed Khan wrote on her official Twitter handle: “The Indian eagle-owl has now been released into MHNP! The owl will fly away at night as they really can’t see much during the day”.

“In fact, owls come to life at night as nocturnal birds. Wishing you a long & happy life inside the national park!”, Khan further wrote.

The chairperson also shared that the beautiful Bubo bengalensis was found a few days ago in drainage in Islamabad and was handed over to IWMB’s rescue centre.

“Owls are healthy and ready to go back to the wild! Will release this beauty back into safe environs of Margalla Hills National Park today”, Khan wrote on her social media handle.

Meanwhile, in another tweet, the chairperson informed that the IWMB wildlife rangers also released a rescued spiny-tailed lizard back into the wild.

These lizards found in arid zones of Pakistan were illegally traded and mercilessly killed for their oil which some mistakenly believe is an aphrodisiac. “Say NO to wildlife trade!”, she mentioned.

The IWMB through community and public awareness had carried out mass sensitization among the youth to protect and help wildlife in threatening situations or found injured.

The IWMB used to receive numerous calls from federal capitals residents pertaining to kites, buzzards, and other birds stuck in a kite string and were rescued by the Board staff.