By Rev Kelvin Ugwu
I know the head of an owl can look frightening to some people, but to others, it is beautiful. Beauty is often in the eye of the beholder.
I grew up believing pigs were dirty animals until I met a family that kept pigs as pets. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Those pigs were cleaner than many dogs I had seen. They were well-groomed, spotless, and surprisingly attractive.
The other day at Chicago Airport, someone was carrying a Chihuahua. I don’t know how many of you know that Chihuahua dog?. . It has bulging eyes and oversized ears. To me, the dog was simply ugly. But then someone behind me upon seeing it screamed, “Awwww… she’s so cute!” I had to look at the dog again to be sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me.
That experience reminded me that what one person finds ugly, another finds adorable.
The same applies to owls.
Beyond appearances, owls have been quietly serving humanity for centuries. They pose virtually no threat to humans, yet, because of ignorance and superstition, many Africans have turned them into symbols of evil.
Have you ever stopped to ask what benefit owls bring to humans?
One of the greatest benefits of owls is their ability to control rats, mice, and other rodents.
When I visited Kansas City in the United States, I met a farmer who explained how they install owl nest boxes around their farms to attract owls. Why? Because if you have an owl, just a single owl can consume well over 2,000 rodents in a year, depending on prey availability.
Think about that.
Rodents destroy crops, contaminate stored food, damage underground electrical cables, and spread diseases that affect humans.
The more owls there are, the fewer rodents farmers have to battle. This also means less dependence on expensive chemical poisons. Research has consistently shown that encouraging owls as natural pest controllers is both environmentally safer and economically more beneficial than relying heavily on rodenticides.
In other words, the owl is not your enemy. It is one of nature’s most effective pest-control officers. And by controlling rodent, it controls the diseases that come with them which affects humans. Owls are saving our lives.
Isn’t it incredibly ironic that the very bird many people chase away, curse, or associate with witchcraft is actually protecting farms, reducing rats around homes, safeguarding food supplies, and helping to maintain a healthy ecosystem?
The next time you shout, “Holy Ghost Fire!” because an owl perched on a tree near your house, remember this: the owl is probably more interested in the rat hiding in your ceiling than in your destiny.
And every time we demonize a bird because of superstition while ignoring scientific evidence, we advertise ignorance more loudly than wisdom. This is why we have Olodo uprising.
Justice for owls.
#PurestPurity
