The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently decided that snowy owls be shot on sight if they are seen near JFK airport.
Snowy owls are gorgeous creatures however they have to take a backseat when it comes to airline safety. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently decided that the owl species be shot on sight if they are seen near John F Kennedy International Airport.
The alert was issued after an owl flew into an aircraft’s engine while it was on the tarmac at the airport. Port Authority staffers were forced to shoot two snowy owls on a recent Saturday in fear that they would also fly into planes.
Now, the decision has been made and even more can, and most likely will, be killed. Although the order to shoot may seem drastic, the effects of bird strikes can be deadly for human passengers and pilots. Even if one doesn’t cause a crash, the cost of damages is expensive.
Last year, there were more than 1,300 strikes to aircrafts in the United States alone and combined, all the damages cost airlines roughly $150 million. However, for wildlife advocates, the potential loss of additional snowy owls is devastating.
What do you think of the Port Authority’s decision to have the owls killed?
