I used to live on a farm until I was 4 years old. The most exotic animals we had were peacocks but we also had the run of the mill farm animals too...sheep, chicken, horses, dogs, cats, annnd pheasants (I guess they aren't so run of the mill). It was a wonderland to grow up in and my dad even built us a tree house along with a water slide and pool.
Thinking back on my childhood I always remember we had a stuffed owl. It had landed on the power line outside the farm so my father took it to a taxidermist. It always looked so alive to me.
Ever since then, I've been obsessed with owls. Many years later I finally found an opportunity to see and pet live owls:
The entrance fee was about 1,000 yen (10 US dollars) and it included a free coffee or tea. Right when we stepped in, we had to disinfect our shoes by stepping on a special mat. After paying we had to disinfect our hands as well.
As long as you used the back of your hand, you could pet most of the owls. It was interesting because when we stepped in, a lot of them were still sleeping but then it got a little later and they all woke up and become really active. Some of them even flew from perch to perch.
This last photo is the same species of owl that we had on my farm. If I'm not mistaken, it's a great horned owl.
I'm glad I got to experience this but honestly it was a little sad to see them trapped and out of their natural habitat. Especially considering that they are nocturnal and they are kept in a bright setting all day. Though the workers there seemed to take great care of them and they do take them outside apparently.
What do you think? Maybe it's time we outlawed zoos and the like.