The Harry Potter series, as far as we know, is at its end, with the last book published in 2007 and the last film released in 2011. Also at an end, apparently, are the hopes and dreams of the owls that idiots across the UK adopted as pets, based on the popularity of the books and movies. Via The Guardian (h/t io9):

Hundreds of owls are being abandoned across the country after being bought as pets by Harry Potter fans.

Sanctuaries are full of the birds now the craze has faded after the release of the final Harry Potter film last year.

And it’s feared many more have been illegally released into the wild and will have starved to death or taken over territory inhabited by smaller wild owls.

There was a surge in demand for pet owls from fans who fell in love with Harry’s cute companion ­Hedwig.

But the birds, which can live for 20 years, take a lot of looking after – and many owners have become fed-up of repeatedly having to clean up garages and sheds of their ­droppings and feathers.

One rescue worker says she is now having to care for 100 owls at her sanctuary.

Harry Potter had a snowy owl named Hedwig, who went on adventures with him and sometimes delivered his mail. In reality, of course, owls spend much more time killing mice and pooping than adventuring, and they almost never deliver envelopes to the location you intend. Most Harry Potter fans are not going to have ready access to a twenty-foot aviary, a captive owl’s preferred digs, and the owls may not like living in a small flat. Continue reading →