Little Owl becomes 'UK's Loneliest Owl' after climate change claimed all his friends' lives in 2020
An owl's numerous calls for a mate have gone unanswered since he lost his last two fellow mates in 2020. Inhabiting Woodoaks Farm near Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, this nocturnal baby keeps approaching fellow beings, but to his misfortune, his voice just echoes in the empty space, as reported by the BBC. This story explores how human-induced climate change has contributed to the isolation of a Little Owl in the United Kingdom, giving him the title of "UK's Loneliest Owl."
The species has been on a serious decline at a rate of 25% per year since 1995, with the Woodoaks farm having only three Little Owls left. The death of the last two in 2020 has left this one Owl all alone on the farm. The two that died — one due to electrocution, and the other due to unknown causes — have left a void in the sole survivor. “It is devastating to watch him alone,” said Rose Lewis, who leads the team at the farm. Lewis confirmed that this Owl sits on his perch day after day in the hope of finding someone. However, his communication disappears without a response.
Woodoak Farm lies in an urban area, which further contributes to the ineffectiveness of finding a mate for the lonely owl as its voice gets lost in the noise and disturbance caused by human life that surrounds the farm. Liam Edwards, co-founder of L&L Wildlife Monitoring, asserted that the increasing numbers of jackdaws and parakeets have led to the Owl’s decline in the Royal Parks as well. He further requested that landowners and farmers build viable habitats for these animals. However, the problem lies elsewhere, and the data reports inadequacies in the human efforts.
The Guardian reported that the UK is the most “nature-depleted country in the world.” More than 1 in 10 wildlife species is threatened with extinction, and 1 in 6 animals, birds, and fish have been lost. The State of Nature report by the outlet mentioned that this decline in animal ecosystems is primarily due to deforestation and industrialisation. Deaths due to human-inflicted adversities, including electrical fencing (1 of the 3 died because of this) around wild farms, intensive farming, urbanisation, and climate change, have made the country the least viable for ecologically supported life.
The increasing technology in farming is "squeezing out nature," said Mark Eaton, the lead author of the report. He also pointed out that public funding for sustaining wildlife has fallen by 32% between 2008 and 2015. The country’s natural cover is in turmoil, with some animal populations increasing at a faster rate, and some on the verge of extinction. 53% of total animal species have declined since the 1970s, all thanks to industrialization. Sir David Attenborough penned the foreword to the report, asserting that the animal world needs uninterrupted attention from humans. "We continue to lose the precious wildlife that enriches our lives and is essential to the health and well-being of those who live in the UK," he affirmed, hoping for humans to develop a kinder, more accepting attitude towards other species.