World's largest owl threatens British birds
The largest owls in the world, capable of hunting animals as big as a roe deer, have started breeding in the wild in Britain, according to a new study.
The latest edition of the journal British Birds says that eagle owls, with a 6ft wingspan, have begun to nest across the UK in the past 15 years.
If they are that big, how did it take this long to notice them?
But conservationists are not happy stating that the breeding birds have escaped from captivity and that they last lived wild in the UK over 9,000 years ago.
They are also worried about the the impact of the top predator on British wild-life, as it would be capable of hunting hundreds of animals.
While it is thought unlikely their are enough wild eagle owls to establish a self-sustaining population there are also 3,000 of the birds kept in captivity in the UK and some fear owners could release them.
Releasing a non-native species into the wild without authorisation is a criminal offence.
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