Sanctuary raiders kill rare owls

Raiders targeted two aviaries where the owls were kept

Staff at a Cumbrian owl centre have been left devastated after two rare birds were killed by intruders.

Raiders decapitated the African Marsh Owls after getting into the Furness Owls Centre in Barrow on Sunday.

Owner Steve Jones was the first person in the UK to breed African Marsh Owls earlier this year at the recently revamped centre.

Cumbria Police said it appeared the intruders had specifically targeted the two birds.

Mr Jones said: "There does not seem to be any reason for what has happened.

"I cannot think why anyone would want to harm these beautiful birds.

"Myself, my wife and the entire staff here are just devastated by this."

Cages cut

A spokesman for Cumbria Police said: "Two separate aviaries were approached within the grounds, and the offenders killed two adult, but small, African Marsh owls, one from each aviary.

"The cages had been cut open and the owls bodies were left in the grounds nearby.

"The loss of the owls are a devastating blow to a recently opened business, which is the only successful breeder in the UK of this type of owl."

Although not an endangered species, Marsh Owls are mainly limited to patchy populations in Morocco, Ethiopia, South Africa and Madagascar