Harry Potter Mania Is Putting Wild Owls at Risk in Asia

Families looking to bring the magic of Harry Potter into their homes are causing major problems among wild owls in Asia. 

A paper chronicling this phenomenon as the “Harry Potter effect” traces the rise in the illegal owl trade since the boy wizard’s film debut, reports the Guardian. Though direct correlation has not been established, strong circumstantial evidence suggests that the surge in demand for pet owls is attributable to the creatures’ prominence in the fictional wizarding world. 

Since the first Potter movie was released in 2001, the rise of owls seen in Indonesia’s bird markets rose from a few hundred to more than 13,000 in 2016. (Pet 'Hedwigs' run about $10 to $30, making owls sold there affordable to middle-class shoppers.)

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