Keepers at Longleat are having to don safety helmets before entering the aviary of a giant owl, known as the ‘tiger of the skies’.
The North American great horned owl, which has a five-foot wingspan, is deemed so dangerous it is listed as a category one species in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act.
In order to protect themselves from aerial attacks by their new feathered fiends, Dakota and Iowa, keepers at the Wiltshire wildlife attraction have to put on gloves and hard hats.
Widespread across America, the owl is reported to have been responsible for a series of attacks on people and is even reputed to have killed someone.
It is a fearsome predator, which uses its powerful talons to catch a variety of prey including everything from hawks and snakes to rabbits, skunks and even porcupines.
The power of the owls’ razor-sharp claws is similar to the biting force of a large guard dog and they use it to sever the spines of large prey.
“In the UK owls are seen as these mystical and magical creatures; particularly since Hogwarts and Harry Potter,” said keeper, Rachael Porter.
“However they’re also one of the planet’s most successful avian predators and have evolved a series of deadly attack weapons to hunt down their prey.
“Although the prospects of being subjected to a dive bomb attack may be quite slim, wearing the helmets is a mandatory element of our licence to look after the owls and it does provide an extra leveI of reassurance whenever we do have to enter the aviary,” she added.
The owl gets its common name from the two tufts on its head and that look like horns.
Great horned owls are perfectly adapted to the role of nocturnal hunter with large eyes, pupils that open widely in the dark, and retinas containing many rod cells for excellent night vision.
They can also swivel their head more than 180 degrees to look in any direction and have exceptional hearing.
Iowa and Dakota are both 20 years old. The average lifespan of the great horned owl is around 25 years, however a female owl at the San Francisco Zoo lived to be more than 50 years old.
For more information please contact Steve Mytton on 07715 798 960 or email steve.mytton@longleat.co.uk.
