A tame European eagle owl spotted a poor, unfortunate weasel in the undergrowth while flying around in the aviary at the Mere Down Falconry in Wiltshire, swooped down, stood on the mustelid and then ate it.

Stewart Canham, who’s an amateur wildlife photographer, was there and managed to get a series of shots of the owl with the weasel in its mouth.  Great photography but I felt terrible for the little weasel – totally in the wrong place at the wrong time!

I know very little about owls but was really surprised to read that this type, the European eagle owl, is a fearsome predator that will catch rabbits and even small deers out in the wild!  Small deers?  Good grief!  I can’t imagine an owl that large somehow.  This particular owl, named Poppy, weighs 5lbs (2.27kg) and has a wing span of 5 feet (1.52m).
A friend here in Perth keeps her ferrets outside in their very secure, ferret proofed backyard and she says she’s paranoid about making sure that all her babies are locked up in their cages under cover when dusk comes as she’s worried about owls taking them.  Apparently that happened to another ferret owner many years ago – she lost a little white ferret in the early evening and she was certain that it had been captured by an owl, as there was absolutely no trace of her girl and there was no way she could have got out of the garden.
So … if you keep your ferrets outside, make sure they’re safe and sound so that the owls don’t get them once evening comes!

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