Three owls caught in illegal bird traps in Cyprus have been rescued and released back into the wild, according to the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS), while enforcement officers seized 150 limesticks from trapping sites.
CABS said its teams found two endemic Cyprus Scops Owls tangled in illegal mist nets during field operations in the south-east of the island.
Near Zygi, the group found a Barn Owl trapped by its wing after coming into contact with glue-coated limesticks.
According to CABS, the Barn Owl was a recently ringed juvenile born this spring and was likely moving around the island in search of its first territory.
The organisation said its teams freed all three owls, carefully cleaned them and checked them for injuries before releasing them back into the wild.
CABS said officers from the Game and Fauna Service also intervened at the sites and seized 150 limesticks.
One offender has already been fined €2,200, according to the group.
CABS said the incidents highlighted the indiscriminate nature of illegal bird trapping, with limesticks and fine nets capable of catching species other than those targeted by trappers.
