Skip to content

Bird flu restrictions hit owl sanctuary income

Andrew Turner
BBC News, Norfolk
Reporting fromFritton Owl Sanctuary
Andrew Turner/BBC A sign bearing the words: "unfortunately I cannot be held today", attached to a wire fence grille on a bird enclosure. In the backdrop is an owl standing on a perch. There is brown wooden shiplap panels to the left and rear of the image, and a green mesh on the roof of the enclosure.Andrew Turner/BBC
Fritton Owl Sanctuary has seen income from visitors, fetes and school visits drop due to restrictions enforced by the growing risk of avian flu

Restrictions imposed due to avian flu are risking the future of an owl sanctuary, its founder has said.

Visitors to Fritton Owl Sanctuary, based at Myhills Garden Centre near Great Yarmouth, can no longer "hold an owl" for a small fee - a major source of income for the charity.

The sanctuary had charged £4 per visitor per owl, which, prior to the restrictions, raised £300 to £600 per month. The losses equate to the charity's monthly food bill.

Louise Thorpe, founder and manager, said the cost of installing enclosures and the loss of income also "left no leeway for veterinary bills".

The sanctuary has 39 owls but has had to build enclosures and hold off from wildlife rescues to protect them from the disease.

Visitors must comply with biosecurity measures at the sanctuary and dip their feet in disinfectant to reduce the risk of infection.

Volunteers are also instructed to change gloves regularly and to use sanitiser when working between enclosures.

Andrew Turner/BBC Adam Brunger is wearing a lumberjack shirt, with a black hoodie and black teeshirt underneath. He has a full but short beard and moustaches, and has long dark hair. He is standing next to an owl enclosure, with an owl in the background, and a sign reading: "unfortunately I cannot be held today".Andrew Turner/BBC
Owl sanctuary team manager Adam Brunger says the charity's primary source of income has "completely stopped"

The sanctuary's team manager, Adam Brunger, said: "We care about the birds here immensely.

"They are a huge part of the family here and if avian flu were to get in here that would be a really bad thing for us and our birds.

"Any of our birds, if they came out of their enclosure they would be at risk of catching avian flu, so we've had to stop doing our 'hold an owl experience' which was our primary source of income.

"The amount of customers we've been having since the avian flu crisis has just dropped off completely.

"We were inundated with people last summer but with avian flu we're barely seeing anyone, which is really sad."

Andrew Turner/BBC Owl sanctuary founder Louise Thorpe, next to a cage with an owl sitting on a shelf. Louise is wearing a grey fleece top, and a black teeshirt underneath. She is wearing glasses, has long auburn hair, and she is smiling.Andrew Turner/BBC
Louise Thorpe, founder and manager of Fritton Owl Sanctuary, says the reduction in income could force the charity to close

Ms Thorpe added: "We've just had half term, so it's hundreds [of pounds] that we've not been able to take in, but it's not just that; it's going out to do visits [with owls] to residential homes and schools. We've not been able to do any of it.

"We've recently had to ask for money [on entry] in the first place, because it wasn't long ago that we needed to build new enclosures.

"We had a massive crowdfund where people were absolutely amazing, but because of avian flu we've had to ask again [for donations] to meet our deadline.

"If we don't meet it by June there is a possibility that we may have to close and that is for the fact we are having to build so many new enclosures to meet new regulations."

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.