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VIDEO: Big Brother with Barn Owls

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Fans of both reality television and wildlife can now combine their interests by tuning into a live stream of baby owls. The Lost Gardens of Heligan are playing host to a family of Barn Owls, including three young owlets which hatched just a few weeks ago. A spokesperson for the tourist attraction said that in 2007, Heligan's Barn Owls received higher viewing figures than Channel 4's Big Brother when eldest chick Hannibal ate two of his younger siblings live on BBC Springwatch. This shocking action is in fact normal behaviour among owls when food becomes scarce and survival is their only instinct. Unfortunately for that year's barn owl family, it was the loss of one of the parent owls that created the lack of food and dramatic results. This year, three eggs were laid and hatched and both parent owls can be seen providing a steady round of tasty treats for their young chicks throughout the night.
"Our permanent pasture land is not intensively grazed and around hay meadows margins are left uncut, to ensure habitat for voles and mice; the barn owls' primary food source," said Jim Briggs, Heligan's wildlife and estate manager. "By ensuring that we think about the smaller creatures in nature's cycle we naturally provide opportunity for larger predators. "Our wildlife cameras give us an intimate view of the lives of the creatures that we share the gardens and estate with and we are often lucky to witness behaviour not normally seen. "Already this year we've watched the chicks fed some interesting dinners, including rabbit and swallow." The chicks all hatched in early-mid June and will be live on camera throughout the summer. They are expected to fledge sometime in August. To watch the barn owls live, visit www.heliganwild.com and click on the 'live webcam' link.

VIDEO: Big Brother with Barn Owls


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