OWL causes a hoot by obstructing justice IN COURT

The Brakpan SPCA asked the Owl Rescue Centre for help in a rather peculiar case involving an owl, a magistrate, and a courtroom full of people.

ALSO READ: AARDVARK found washed up on Cape Town beach

Owl rescued from Magistrates Court

The Owl Rescue Centre received a request from the Brakpan SPCA to rescue a Barn owl that had been causing havoc at the magistrates court in Brakpan.

While the court was in session last week, the owl flew in through a hole in the ceiling.

This apparently caused the magistrate and everyone in the room to run out screaming.

ALSO READ: SEAL rescued after found walking through the streets of Cape Town

“It took us a while, but we rescued the little fella.” the Owl Rescue Centre said.

Some fun facts about these creatures

Owls are very interesting creatures, with a lot to learn about them.

Have a look at these fun facts.

• Asymmetrical ears are present in many species, allowing them to locate sounds in multiple dimensions when positioned at different heights on the owl’s head.
• The eyes of an owl are tube-shaped and immobile, providing binocular vision that focuses entirely on prey and boosts depth perception.
• They can rotate their necks up to 270 degrees, facilitated by a blood-pooling system that powers their brains and eyes when neck movement restricts circulation.

ALSO READ: SEAL rescued after found walking through the streets of Cape Town

• A group is referred to as a parliament, originating from C.S. Lewis’ depiction of a meeting of owls in The Chronicles of Narnia.
• Owls hunt other owls, with Great Horned species serving as the top predator of the smaller Barred species.
• The Elf species, measuring 5-6 inches tall and weighing approximately 1 1/2 ounces, is the world’s smallest species.
• The Great Gray species, standing up to 32 inches tall, is the largest North American owl in appearance.
• The Northern Hawk species can detect a vole up to a half a mile away primarily by sight, which it then consumes.

ALSO READ: Watch: Seal attack at popular Cape Town beach

Owls have great vision

Owls take the torch from eagles as soon as the sun goes down, making them nighttime predators.

They have incredible binocular vision because their eyes face directly forward

This unlike many birds with eyes that sit at an angle. Their large eyes cannot move or roll like human eyes can.

ALSO READ: Watch: In Brazil, it rains spiders from the sky

This does not stop them as they can move their heads almost all the way around. It allows them a 270 degree range of vision without moving their bodies.

Their large, tube-shaped eyes contain many more rods than human eyes, making them more sensitive to light. At night, their irises widen to allow more light to reach their retina.

ALSO READ: Watch: Aardvark tries to outrun hyena in rare sighting

They can also see during the day as their iris adjusts, but their vision is slightly blurry.

Animals with excellent night vision, have a reflective surface known as the tapetum lucidum behind their retina.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY MICHELLE SWART