Three Men in East Nusa Tenggara Face Multiple Charges for Burning Owl Alive
Three men in West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), who tortured and burned an owl alive in a video that went viral on social media, are facing multiple criminal charges. The suspects, identified by their initials GJ (30), SB (41) and VJ (25), are from Kampung Bajak, Benteng Ndope Village, Pacar District, West Manggarai.
“For their actions, the alleged perpetrators face multiple charges,” said West Manggarai Police Criminal Investigation Unit Head AKP Lufthi Darmawan Aditya on Thursday.
They face charges under Law Number 32 of 2024 concerning Amendments to Law Number 5 of 1990 on Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems, as well as Law Number 1 of 2024 concerning the Second Amendment to Law Number 11 of 2008 on Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE).
The three men involved in the cruel act against the owl were arrested on Tuesday afternoon. GJ acted as the executor who captured and struck the owl, SB recorded the video and uploaded it to his social media account, while VJ was the executor who burned the owl.
Investigators are currently coordinating with the NTT Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA) regarding the protected status of the animal. They are also coordinating with prosecutors from 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 alleged perpetrators,” Lufthi said.
He urged the public to stop acts of cruelty against wildlife and to use social media wisely. “We emphasise that the law does not provide room for acts of torture against animals, especially those turned into social media content for fleeting popularity,” he stressed. “We urge the people of West Manggarai to abandon myths that damage the ecosystem’s sustainability and to be wise in using social media.”
The torture and burning of the owl occurred near Kampung Bajak on 8 August at around 8:00 pm local time. The incident went viral on social media, drawing widespread public condemnation.
The incident began when GJ spotted an owl perched on a kitchen pole at SB’s house. GJ then called SB and VJ to help catch the bird with their bare hands before taking it to the front of a kiosk, where they burned it alive.
“At the location in front of the kiosk, the cruel treatment of the animal began. The alleged perpetrator VJ held both wings of the owl, while GJ took a small piece of wood and repeatedly struck the owl’s head,” Lufthi explained.
VJ then lit a fire and burned the owl while it was still alive until it was reduced to ashes. During the abuse and burning, SB held a mobile phone to record the entire scene. SB uploaded the video of the owl being burned to his social media account on 8 August 2026 at around 9:30 am local time. The post on the Facebook account Lenggeleongwasedeko subsequently went viral, triggering widespread outrage among netizens.
The video was reposted by the wildlife education account @doniherdarutona on the morning of 11 August 2026, drawing national public attention. In the footage, one perpetrator is seen spreading the owl’s wings while a wood fire blazes behind him. Another perpetrator then repeatedly strikes the owl’s head before the bird is brought close to the fire and burned alive.
The motive behind the act was influenced by local superstition. The suspects claimed they acted based on a local myth or belief that the presence of an owl near a settlement is a bad omen or a symbol of black magic. “Based on the initial examination, the alleged perpetrators admitted to acting on the local myth or belief that the presence of an owl near a settlement is a bad omen or a symbol of black magic,” Lufthi said. They believed that by burning the owl, the threat of witchcraft could be eliminated.