The number of illegally traded owls in Indonesia has spiked over the last two decades, and researchers suggest the fame of Harry Potter has something to do with it.
In a new study in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation, researchers look into why hundreds of owls are being caught and sold into the domestic pet market in Indonesia. The study refers to it as “Harry Potter effect.”
“In the past, owls were offered only in very small numbers in these bird markets but since the release of the Harry Potter series in Indonesia in the early 2000s their popularity as pets has increased,” the study’s co-author Vincent Nijman said.
Author J.K. Rowling released the first book in the series in 1997. The books portray magical owls that deliver the messages and packages; Harry Potter even has a snowy owl named Hedwig.
In the past, the owl trade in Indonesia was very low the study said. In the latter half of the first decade of this century, more species, including barn and bay owls, started to show up illegally on the market. In recent years, the number of owl species traded illegally in the region has increased even more, the study said.
Nijman there could be other reasons for the surge in illegal owl trade, such as the rise of the internet and social media. However, the owls that are being traded illegally are being called “Harry Potter birds,” he said.
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Under Indonesia’s conservation law, trade in protected wildlife carries a financial penalty and prison sentence.
Global News reached out to the Indonesian government for comment but did not hear back at the time this article was published.
Bird sanctuaries in the United Kingdom also reported seeing an increase in the number of owls after the movies were released. The birds can live for 20 years, and it was reported that many home owners became fed up with having to clean up after them.
The study suggests this isn’t the first time movies and books have influenced a pet phenomenon. After the release of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, that type of dog breed became very popular in the U.S.
After Finding Nemo was released in 2003, it was reported the sales of clown fish increased. According to marine biologists, the world’s population of clownfish has dwindled to the point where it has disappeared in some places where it formerly flourished. In others, its numbers are drastically lower than they were before 2003.
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