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)