Supporting other countries wildlife

Hi all,

As you are aware I have not been on LW for a while.  One of our fellow LW chatters informed us of a webcam featuring owls in  Johannesbourg, South Africa.  Well once I visited the cam, I was hooked just like I was when I joined LW.

The site and webcam was Plant Pot Owl and it brought to all viewers the lives up close of a pair of owls who laid their eggs and have raised their chicks in a plant pot on the balcony of a house in Johannesbourg for the last 3 years. The family of owls have now fledged the pot but are still being seen in the area.  You can read all about them here: http://www.potplantowl.co.za/ .  Please visit their blog to read and see the most wonderful photos of the beautiful owl family during their time on the balcony/in the pot.

Tracy and Allan who are the owners of the house whose balcony the owls have used as their nesting site also brought to our attention an issue which affects the lives of the owls and other wildlife. 

Nearby there is a wetland area which developers are already in the process of trying to destroy in order to build on.  If this goes ahead the owls and other wildlife will have nowhere to hunt/live.  Tracy and Allan and their fellow neighbours, family and friends are working very hard to stop this destruction/redevelopment and have set up a petition which will be presented to the authorities.  If you are willing to support their cause and save the wetlands please sign the petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/save-the-wetlands/  

On behalf of the owls and other wildlife in Johannesbourg may I thank you for taking the time to read this thread.

Hi Fi,

I do hope this petition works and they leave the wetlands alone.  Far too many areas are being built on leaving the wild animals less and less room to live.  All the best....

I can only second Fi's request that we get involved if we can.  The photos on the blogspot

http://potplantowl.blogspot.com/2010/11/pic-what-our-wetland-used-to-look-like.html   and 

http://potplantowl.blogspot.com/2010/11/pic-after-destruction.html   will give you an idea of the destruction that has already happened, but there is a huge effort now to stop this development and leave the area to regenerate.  If you can sign the petition, please do at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/4/save-the-wetlands/

It was a delight to watch these tiny owlets grow and develop, and it was clear that they had their own distinctive personalities, especially the smallest one.  I wish we could have shared them with you all.