Four barn owl nestlings were rescued on Monday, July 14, after the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) acted on an anonymous tip-off about a man in Hazyview allegedly selling the protected birds for R1 000 each without a permit.
Chris Hobkirk from the MTPA explained that the agency, working with the Hawks, carried out a “buy-bust” operation at a shopping centre.
Undercover officials confronted the suspect, immediately confiscated the owls, and seized the Nissan light delivery vehicle used to transport them. Authorities are still investigating how the suspect obtained the birds.
Barn owl nestlings
Suspect Appears in Court
The man, identified as 48-year-old Thabo Thuso Shongwe, appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court the following day. He was released on warning, with his case postponed to August 20 for further investigation.
Owls in Safe Care
The rescued owlets were transferred to the Wild and Free Rehabilitation Centre in Komatipoort. The centre’s director, Deidré Joubert, confirmed that the birds are in good health and feeding independently. She noted that the four siblings, all from the same nest, hatched about a week apart.
“The owls will be released back into the wild in two months, pending court approval,” Joubert said.
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