Owls play a big part in the series "Harry Potter" but according to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), these animals are being mistreated during studio tours.
Warner Bros.' Harry Potter Studio Tour London is being attacked by PETA as they claim that the owls are subjected to cruelty for the sake of the attraction. The complaints reportedly came from many visitors of the studio tour showing concern over the welfare of the animals in the area.
An investigator was then sent to the studio tour and a video was uploaded on YouTube to show the people their findings. In the video, PETA pointed out that the owls are suspended in tiny cages and are constantly exposed to crowds and loud music. PETA's video also showed that the owls are used to perform demeaning tricks repeatedly and that the visitors are encouraged to touch the animals.
The people taking care of these animals also allowed the visitors to use flash photography when taking photos of the owls but PETA shared that these animals have especially acute vision and the flashes from the camera are blinding and causes them distress.
According to the video, the investigator asked if the owls are allowed to fly so they can stretch their legs but the man responsible for taking care of the owls said that they are caged all day. Towards the end of the video, PETA gave a strong message saying that there is nothing magical about cruelty to animals and they even quoted a statement from the author of the series J.K. Rowling.
According to IGN Asia, the director of PETA Mimi Bekhechi also released a statement noting that the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London should make sure that the studio tour remains magical by not keeping live animals in it.
A Warner Bros. Studio Tour London spokesperson actually responded to the statement saying that the owls only stay in the cages for short periods of time and are handled by experts and that they will take appropriate action so that the birds and animals will receive the best care.