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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."

10 of 252 comments (clear)

  1. Diwali by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Right, and it absolutely, positively has nothing to do with diwali. Move along, move along. Blame Harry Potter!

  2. Uh... oooookay... by fieldstone · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm amazed to be the first saying this, but clearly the problem here is not Harry Potter, it's parents who aren't willing or able to tell their children "no". An owl is not a pet.

  3. Isn't it illegal.... by mark-t · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ... to have an owl as a pet in the first place?

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  4. Owls Make Terrible Pets by CodeBuster · · Score: 4, Interesting

    These people are going to find out rather quickly why owls are among the worst possible animals to keep as pets.

  5. Easy fix by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Funny

    The next Harry Potter (or other such insanely popular movie) should feature wild killer possums with rabies as pets. That should take care of the problem.

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    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    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.

  6. Change the animal... by AdeBaumann · · Score: 3, Funny

    Maybe JK Rowling can write another book that has Harry ditch his owl for an alligator. Bam - Problem solved.

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

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

  8. It takes a special kind of stupidity by hey! · · Score: 3, Insightful

    to voluntarily lodge a nocturnal killing machine in your own home.

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  9. My first impression: by arielCo · · Score: 3, Funny

    O RLY?

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    This post contains no rudeness or derision of any kind. All arguments are friendly. Terms and exclusions may apply.