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Harry Potter Blamed For India's Disappearing Owls

Posted by samzenpus on from the even-muggles-want-one dept.

GillBates0 writes "Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has blamed fans of Harry Potter for the demise of wild owls in the country as children seek to emulate the boy wizard by taking the birds as pets. 'Following Harry Potter, there seems to be a strange fascination even among the urban middle classes for presenting their children with owls,' Ramesh said Wednesday, according to comments reported by the BBC."

2 of 252 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Easy fix by cnaumann · · Score: 4, Informative

    Possums are one of the few wild mammals that really don't carry rabies. Being slashdot I felt obligated to point that out.

  2. Yes by fantomas · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yes. "Hunting of and trade in all Indian owl species is banned under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972."