Three Arrested for Burning Owl Alive, Motivated by Local Myth and Content Creation
The Criminal Investigation Unit of the West Manggarai Police, East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police, has arrested three men suspected of involvement in the torture and burning of an owl while it was still alive. The arrests were made after a video of the act circulated widely on social media.
The three suspects were detained by the Komodo Quick Reaction Team from their respective homes in Kampung Bajak, Benteng Ndope Village, Pacar District, on Tuesday, 11 August 2026. They were then taken to the West Manggarai Police headquarters for further examination.
Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the West Manggarai Police, AKP Lufthi Darmawan Aditya, said the incident occurred on Friday, 7 August, at around 8.00 pm Central Indonesia Time.
According to initial examination results, the incident began when one of the suspects, GJ (30), saw an owl perched on a kitchen pole at the house of SB (41). GJ then invited SB and VJ (25) to catch the bird with their bare hands.
After it was caught, the owl was taken to the front of a kiosk. At that location, the three allegedly tortured the animal.
GJ allegedly caught the owl and repeatedly struck its head with a piece of wood. Meanwhile, VJ reportedly held both of the bird’s wings to prevent it from escaping, before lighting a fire and burning the animal.
SB allegedly recorded the entire act using a mobile phone and later uploaded the footage to social media.
“The Komodo Quick Reaction Team has detained three suspects in the burning of an owl alive from their homes in Pacar District,” said AKP Lufthi on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.
Investigators suspect the act was influenced by local beliefs or myths about owls. In initial examinations, the suspects reportedly believed that the appearance of an owl near a settlement was a bad omen or related to black magic.
They even believed that burning the bird could eliminate the threat they associated with witchcraft.
Ironically, the act was not only carried out but also recorded and disseminated through social media. The video uploaded by SB on Saturday, 8 August, sparked criticism from netizens.