We are happy to announce yet another significant acquisition as, on June 24, our two male snowy owls welcomed a young female from Zoo Ostrava, Czech Republic.
The newcomer actually turned two the day after her arrival and, after a quarantine period, she joined the males in their exhibit. Thanks to her salt-and-pepper plumage, typical of female snowy owls, she is rather easy to distinguish from her potential mates. Hopefully, she will soon pair with either male, eventually contributing to the growth of the European zoo population of the species, currently at a total of a little over 500 individuals.
Native to the Arctic, snowy owls (Bubo scandiacus) have the northernmost distribution and one of the largest average sizes out of all true owls, with choices of nesting place and migration patterns largely dependent on the availability of lemmings, their primary prey. In order to cope with tundra climates and snowy habitats, they have developed a number of iconic adaptations such as a uniquely white plumage that serves as excellent camouflage and dense feathers covering their entire feet like snow boots. Their conservation status is more and more worrying as global population numbers have declined by over 30 percent in just three generations due to habitat transformation and reduction in the availability of prey caused by climate change, as well as poaching and road accidents. Since 2017, snowy owls are therefore listed as Vulnerable in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Like a number of our other residents, the female snowy owl is yet to be adopted. If you want to make her really happy while also offering us tremendous help, please consider becoming a zoo foster parent. Further info at:
Debrecen Zoo and Amusement Park
