Police Arrest Three Men in West Manggarai for Burning Owl Alive

A video showing an owl being burned alive in West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, went viral on social media and triggered public condemnation. Following up on the video, the Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of the West Manggarai Police arrested three men suspected of involvement in the act of violence against the animal.

The three men were detained by the URC Resmob Komodo team at their homes in Kampung Bajak, Benteng Ndope Village, Pacar District, West Manggarai Regency, on Tuesday night (11/8). They were identified by their initials as GJ, 30, who allegedly caught and beat the owl; SB, 41, who recorded and uploaded the video; and VJ, 25, who allegedly set the animal on fire.

West Manggarai Police Chief AKBP Christian Kadang, through Criminal Investigation Unit Head AKP Lufthi Darmawan Aditya, said the action was taken after police learned of a video showing violence against an animal circulating widely on social media.

“We from the West Manggarai Police Criminal Investigation Unit moved quickly to respond to public concern on social media. The URC Resmob Komodo team has arrested three suspected perpetrators of burning an owl alive at their residence in Pacar District,” Lufthi said in a statement on Wednesday morning (12/8).

Lufthi explained that the incident occurred on Friday (7/8) at around 8:00 p.m. local time in the vicinity of Kampung Bajak, Benteng Ndope Village. It began when GJ saw an owl perched on a kitchen pillar of a house belonging to SB. GJ then called SB and VJ to catch the bird. The three allegedly caught the owl with their bare hands and took it to the front of a kiosk, where the act of violence against the animal took place.

According to police, VJ held both wings of the owl, while GJ took a small piece of wood and struck the bird’s head repeatedly. After that, VJ allegedly lit a fire and burned the owl while it was still alive. Meanwhile, SB recorded the entire act using a mobile phone.

“It is very regrettable that instead of preventing it, the suspect SB recorded the entire process of beating and burning the owl from beginning to end,” Lufthi said.

The video was then uploaded by SB to his personal Facebook account, Lenggeleongwasedeko, on Saturday (8/8) at around 9:30 a.m. local time. The post drew criticism from netizens. The video was later deleted, but the recording had already been downloaded and re-uploaded by the wildlife education account @doniherdarutona on Tuesday morning (11/8). After being re-uploaded, the video spread widely and became a matter of public attention.

Police suspect the act was carried out against a background of mystical beliefs as well as a desire to create content to gain attention on social media.

“From the initial examination, the suspects admitted to acting on the basis of local myths or beliefs that the presence of an owl near a settlement is a bad omen or a symbol of black magic,” Lufthi said.

According to initial information obtained by investigators, they believed that burning the owl could eliminate the threat associated with witchcraft. However, police also suspect the act was deliberately recorded and disseminated to attract public attention.

The case came to light through cyber patrol monitoring by the West Manggarai Police Criminal Investigation Unit. After confirming that the incident location was within the jurisdiction of the West Manggarai Police, the URC Resmob Komodo team travelled to Pacar District on Tuesday afternoon. Officers travelled by land for about two hours and arrived at the location at around 3:00 p.m. local time.

“Officers immediately carried out initial action at the crime scene, arrested the suspects without resistance, and collected supporting evidence,” Lufthi said.

Police also seized a number of items as evidence, including a mobile phone allegedly used to record and upload the video, a small piece of wood allegedly used to beat the animal, and remnants of ash from the burning at the scene. The three men, along with the evidence, were then taken to the West Manggarai Police headquarters and arrived at around 9:30 p.m. local time. They subsequently underwent intensive examination by Criminal Investigation Unit investigators.

Police are still investigating the case, including the protection status of the owl that was the victim in the video. The West Manggarai Police Criminal Investigation Unit is coordinating with the East Nusa Tenggara Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA NTT) to confirm the protection status of the animal. Police are also coordinating with the Public Prosecutor of the West Manggarai District Attorney’s Office regarding the next legal process.

The suspects could potentially be charged under criminal provisions in Law Number 32 of 2024 concerning Amendments to Law Number 5 of 1990 concerning Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems, as well as provisions in Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning the Second Amendment to Law Number 11 of 2008 concerning Electronic Information and Transactions.

“We are coordinating with BKSDA NTT regarding the protection status of the animal, as well as coordinating with the Public Prosecutor of the West Manggarai District Attorney’s Office for further legal proceedings. We will also soon hold a case conference to determine the formal legal status of the suspects,” Lufthi said.

He stressed that the police do not condone acts of violence against animals, especially if such acts are recorded and disseminated as social media content.

“We emphasise that the law provides no room for acts of torture against animals, let alone those made into social media content for fleeting popularity,” he said.

Police also urged the public not to use beliefs or myths as a reason to commit violence against animals.

“We urge the people of West Manggarai to stop myths that damage ecosystem sustainability and to be wise in using social media,” he said.