- By Shivangi Sharma
- Sun, 09 Nov 2025 02:34 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In one of the most controversial wildlife decisions in decades, the US government has approved the culling of up to 450,000 barred owls across public lands in California, Oregon, and Washington. The operation, led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), aims to protect the endangered northern spotted owl, a species pushed toward extinction by competition, aggression, and territorial displacement from barred owls.
The barred owl population exploded over the last century, expanding from the Eastern US into the Pacific Northwest, where they quickly overtook spotted owls. The government argues the cull is necessary to prevent the total collapse of spotted owl populations within the next few decades. The project, estimated to cost USD 1.35 billion over 30 years, was finalised last year and continues to face fierce national debate.
Rising Opposition
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) has been among the plan’s most vocal critics. He attempted to block the strategy in the Senate, arguing that the government should not interfere at such a massive scale.
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“The barred owls are not hurting anybody,” Kennedy said. “They’re just doing what nature teaches them to do. We’re going to change nature? We’re going to control our environment to this extent?”
His legislative effort failed to secure enough votes, allowing the plan to proceed. However, documented reports of aggressive barred owl behaviour complicate the narrative. Runners in Portland have reported attacks, stolen hats, and visible wounds. In Washington, a woman was repeatedly ambushed while walking near her home in 2022, incidents that biologists say are becoming increasingly common.
Conservationists Push Back
Animal rights organisations, including Animal Wellness Action, have filed lawsuits arguing the program violates the Endangered Species Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Former FWS biologists claim the government is ignoring the root cause of decline: industrial logging and decades of habitat destruction.
Unexpectedly, timber industry groups back the cull. They argue that halting the program could disrupt harvesting goals linked to millions of acres of federally managed timberlands. The logging sector fears that without barred owl removal, stricter habitat protections for spotted owls could further restrict operations.
