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| barn owl |
Chile's government turns to a novel approach to combat the deadly
Hanta virus spreading through the country. This year 15 deaths attributed to
Hanta infection occurred out of 36 cases. The infection's flu like symptoms are hardest on the weak and young.
Hanta spreads from rodents' feces to the air where humans may inhale the virus. Extensive forest fires may have pushed rodents into urban areas increasing the risk of human exposure. Chile's park and forest ministry is encouraging the breeding of owls whose primary prey are rodents by building breeding boxes for them in natural areas. Owls such as
Tyto alba (barn owl) and
Bubo magellanicus (Magellenic horned owl) are responding to the care with greater number of chicks. Valparaíso prison has expressed interest in owl boxes to help reduce its rodent population. Owls face a problem in Chile beyond the usual causes of population decline: superstition holds that owls are bad luck. A hooting owl near a house means someone will die there. Perhaps the death will be caused by the
Hanta virus.
