FKNK releases more barn owls into the wild at Buskett

More than 14 barn owls that were bred in captivity have been released into the wild at Buskett as part of hunting organisation FKNK’s conservation project.

The project aims to reintroduce the barn owl into the wild and is operated from the 16th century Knights of Malta farmhouse known as Razzett tal-Bagħal in Buskett.

The FKNK said the last introduction into the wild released over 14 subjects that were bred, raised and fledged in captivity at the farmhouse. The organisation said a barn owl originally released in 2022 and which had been targeted by poachers over Żebbuġ last December will also be released in the coming days after being rehabilitated.

The conservation project started in 2017 and barn owls born in captivity are cared for with minimal human interaction until they are able to fend for themselves when released into the wild.

The barn owl was hunted to extinction on the Maltese islands in the 1980s. The FKNK aims to reintroduce the species back into the wild in Malta and Gozo.

The FKNK said 2024 will be an important year for the project. “A greater number of owls will be introduced into the wild and with the help of technological monitoring, more information about the behaviour and movement of these species will come to light,” the organisation said, adding this was a pioneering effort to restore biodiversity in Malta.