Thread: Yanpu the Owl

I recently received an email from a good friend living in Bali (who also lives in Merida, Mexico). She is very integrated in the Balinese community, and she has always some interesting and very unusual experiences in her life on the island. For your enjoyment (I hope), I am posting part of her email, together with a picture of Yanpu, the Owl (of course, "the forest" is Monkey Forest, between Ubud and Nyuh Kuning). In spite of everything, this is still Bali...

[…] You would be distressed by Bali now, so much traffic, pollution, unresolved waste problems, so many new villas, hotels and restaurants filling up the rice fields!!

[…] A few days before Galungan a nest was reported in the forest. The kids said there was an egg as big as my head. Off I went with binoculars. And I saw a most remarkable tall white owl with heavy black "eyebrows" and the egg was a nestling. The villagers were sure that it was an eagle but I knew it was an owl and very special, so I said bring banten and do not disturb it! Everything was quiet until 3 days after Galungan when I heard lots of shouting. I ran over with Ibu Made and saw this drunken fool who lives across the forest working his way down and then
climbing the tree, heading for the owlet. We called the pecalang and they got in touch with the Mangkus and the heads of the village. Before I knew it, all these men emerged from my jungle path with guns and big knives. The had just raided the home of the thief! The head of the village was in the front carrying this precious owlet. I asked them to return it to the nest but they said it would be stolen again.

A nest was improvised and for days I got up through the night to feed this mini wonder. Happily I have a friend at the Zoo and the Bird Park and they have been helpful. It is a Barred Eagle Owl, from Java and Sumatra and now rare.

A ceremony was done under the tree where it was hatched and the man in the village who consults the Tonyo confirmed that I am the Keeper of the Owl! It gets banten, holy water daily and its cage can only be covered with temple cloth.

My place is a branch of the Bird Park, now with Biggi the hornbill, Yanpu the owl, and all the geese and ducks arriving this week....absolutely mad! Yanpu, short for Wayan Puakan, will be moving into his third house next week, he is growing so big. He/she is so affectionate and smart, such a joy! The Bird Park man says it's a male, the Mangku of Paku Seba says it is female. All believe it to be a Barong!

[...]