For luck on Diwali, owls home-delivered for sacrifice

AGRA: As Diwali approaches, bird markets in UP see a seasonal and very brutal trade in owls. The belief is that if an owl is sacrificed in a house during Lakshmi puja, the goddess will be forced to "stay" with the family. A lot of the trade in the country is routed through Agra, according to wildlife activists. In the city, the birds can even be home delivered. Sometimes, the trader will sacrifice it for believers if they are queasy about it.

According to wildlife activists, Agra is one of the major hubs for this trade. Places like Korai-Karavili village, near Fatehpuri Sikri, and Kosi Kalan in Mathura are infamous for it.

Ornithologist Abrar Ahmed, principal investigator for the report 'Imperilled custodians of the night', the first such study of its kind about the problems threatening owls in the country, done by wildlife group Traffic and WWF-India, told TOI that Korai-Karavili village in Agra was "the worst place in India in terms of owl trade".

"There are many tribal settlements in the area including those of Kalandhars (bear handlers), who have been rehabilitated. However, people there are involved in trade in owls, considering it a more benign crime compared to trade in other animals. After our report was published, steps were taken to curb the trade, but things are back to square one," Ahmed added.

"Owls are sold at a premium, brought in only after a specific demand is made, generally for black magic, or during the Diwali season for sacrifice. They are often delivered right to the buyer's doorstep. Therefore such trade remains undocumented, since most of the birds are then sacrificed," Ahmed said.

Baiju Raj, director, conservation projects, Wildlife SOS, said, "In Agra we have caught poachers from Korai village several times in past. The price range is upward of Rs 30,000 per bird."

Driven by religious myths and superstitious beliefs tied to them, these birds are sought for their body parts such as talons, skulls, bones, feathers, meat and blood, which are then used in talismans, black magic and traditional medicine, apart from the sacrifices. Though the exact number of owls traded and sacrificed each year remains unknown, the trade spikes in the days leading up to Diwali, Raj added. The new moon night of Diwali is considered the most auspicious time for owl sacrifices.

The Indian (rock) eagle owl, brown fish owl, dusky eagle owl, Indian scops owl and mottled wood owl are five of the most traded owl species in the illegal wildlife market. Horned owls such as the Indian eagle owl are particularly sought after by tantriks, as their false feather ear tufts (feather extensions on the head) are considered to have mystical properties.