Owl endangered

Owl endangered

One of Australia's rare nocturnal animals, the sooty owl, is in danger of extinction due to the lack of a law to protect it, according to the Concerned Residents of East Gippsland (CROEG).

Scientist Paul Peake, who has spent many years studying owls, believes there may be only 1000 pairs of owls in small isolated populations along Australia's eastern seaboard.

The Endangered Species Interim Protection Act in NSW allows threatened species to be killed, interfered with or taken once a logging permit has been issued. Logging operators are routinely granted such permits. CROEG claim that NSW State Forests is clear-felling known sooty owl habitat in the south-eastern forests without notifying the NSW Parks and Wildlife.

From GLW issue 178