The Faculty of Arts MU supports the breeding of critically endangered little owls

It would not be easy to find a symbol more closely associated with the Faculty of Arts in Brno than the little owl. A statue of a little owl adorns the top of the faculty's mace, which is used at graduation ceremonies and other critical academic ceremonies. The AI guide offering courses at the Faculty of Arts, Fifi, also takes the form of a stylised little owl. The motif of this small owl has accompanied our faculty in various forms since its inception. However, this is no coincidence: since ancient Greece, the little owl has been a characteristic attribute of the goddess Athena and a symbol of wisdom.

The rescue station in Rajhrad takes in over 700 animals in need each year. Many of them are successfully returned to the wild, but some remain in lifelong care. Young birds raised by permanently housed bird parents at the rescue station are also released into the wild. This year, for example, they successfully raised an eagle owl, which will be released in the spring of next year. The rescue centre has similar plans for two pairs of barn owls.

By adopting one of the Rajhrad barn owls, the Faculty of Philosophy is contributing to the preservation of this species in the wild. The barn owl is critically endangered, with only about 150 pairs nesting in the Czech Republic. Any additional individual that can join the barn owl population is therefore extremely valuable.

In this context, the Czech Ornithological Society chose the barn owl as Bird of the Year 2018 to draw attention to its rapidly declining numbers. Breeding little owls in Rajhrad is one of many steps that will lead to an increase in their numbers in the surrounding countryside.

The Faculty of Arts MU currently supports the breeding of two species of owls – the barn owl at Brno Zoo and the little owl at the rescue station in Rajhrad.

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