US government plans to unleash 'hunters' to KILL half a million owls in three ... trends now
Half a million invasive barred owls' lives are at stake for encroaching on the endangered California spotted owl's territory.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) plans to unleash 'hunters' om California, Oregon and Washington to kill the nocturnal birds that are native to the eastern US.
Under the proposal, hunters would broadcast barred owl territorial calls to attract owls and shoot on sight, but in areas where firearm use is inadvisable, the protocol would be to capture and euthanize the creature.
However, the strategy to save one species has caused outrage among 75 groups that claim its actions could disrupt the wildlife and cause 'mistaken-identity kills.'
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed culling 500,000 barred owls who are encroaching on spotted owls' territory
Spotted owls were added to the endangered species list in 1990 due to deforestation
Owls have historically been protected from hunters, but the FWS claimed the barred owl has become an emerging threat to the spotted owl because they have a larger appetite, causing them to compete for the same prey.
The barred owl has also been known to kill the spotted owl, according to the FWS.
The two owls look very similar, with both having rounded heads, brown and white-colored bodies, and black eyes and are only distinguished by their slight size difference and the colors of their beaks.
Spotted owls measure about 1.5 feet in length and have a wingspan up to four feet while barred owls are bigger, standing about two feet tall with a wingspan of up to four feet.
Barred owls started migrating to the forests of Washington, Oregon and Northern California from their native region in the northeastern US in the early 1900s due to climate change and deforestation.
In 1990, the spotted owl was added to the Endangered Species Act because of habitat loss, but now the migration of the barred owl over the past century has allegedly worsened the situation.
Organizations led by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy penned a letter to Interior Secretary Deborah Haaland on Monday, accusing her of a 'reckless' plan to shoot down 500,000 barred owls over the next 30
