Owls to fight pestilential rats

Owls to fight pestilential rats

CIREBON, West Java: Owls have been deployed to get rid of rats
which have infested 800 hectares of farmland near here. The head
of the Plantation Agency, Komar, said on Thursday that the 16
barn owls (tyto alba) were ideal to kill the rats.

Komar, as quoted by Antara in the Panguragan village in the
Arjaniwangun district, said the pests this year were more severe
compared to last year when only 147 hectares were affected.

Komar said losses could reach up to Rp 1.5 million (US$135)
per hectare. The owls, which prey on at least four rats a day,
will be distributed to farmers in three areas around the sugar
factories of Tersana Baru, Karangsuwung, and Sindang Laut.

Komar added farmers were hoping for funds to make owl shelters
which would each cost Rp 100,000. "I'll tell my superiors that
this is the right time, as there is little rain, for (the owls)
to adapt to their environment," he said. (anr)