Man Burns Owl Alive Because He Thinks Its A Witch

Story ByAna LacasaSub EditorJoseph GolderAgencyCentral European News

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT

Video Credit: CEN

This is the shocking moment a young man throws a white owl onto a bonfire and burns it alive because he believes it is a witch.

The incident was filmed in the city of San Juan del Rio in the north-western Mexican state of Durango and posted on social media where it sparked outrage.

In the footage, a young man is seen holding a white owl, believed to be a snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus), by its wings.

The cameraman says: “Here we are going to burn a f*cking damned witch, burn this damned b*tch!” 

As loud music plays and a bonfire roars, the man places the owl directly into the flames.

The poor bird tries to escape, but the man pulls it back into the fire with a rope tied to its leg.

The owl is seen struggling on the fire and is quickly engulfed by the flames.

It screeches moments before the flames completely consume the bird.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List categorises the snowy owl as ‘vulnerable’.

The footage sparked outrage online and animal activists have called upon the Environmental Protection Agency to launch an investigation and catch the culprits.

In 2014, a woman from the village of La Campana was investigated when she allegedly burned an owl that she also believed to be a witch.

It is currently unclear whether the authorities are looking into the events in the video footage.

Netizen ‘LucaAnglicaFlo1’ said: “Why didn’t they burn themselves? I hope the authorities catch them and throw them in jail.”

Picture Credit: CEN