U.S. wildlife officials plan to kill nearly half a million"invasive" American owls over three decades, new documents confirm. Experts say the cull is needed to help protect two native owl species, which have been put under threat from the invaders. However, animal rights activists have condemned the plan as cruel and unnecessary.
Barred owls have also started mating with the spotted owls, creating hybrids that have the potential to reduce the gene pool of the spotted owl species. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.This may sound like a huge number of owls. However, the cull will remove less than 1% of barred owls' predicted U.S. population during the proposed time frame, resulting in fewer casualties than other, more aggressive management options proposed by the FWS, which suggested culling almost twice as many of the birds.