A philosophical conundrum ..

When I went to the owl centre today, I assumed it was a rescue centre, where birds would be 'mended' and released and only kept caged if they were unsuitable for release into the wild for some reason.

In a way it was that - though all the owls are permanently caged residents, which have been rescued from unsuitable or unlicensed owners.

The hawks and falcons are kept for falconry and are regularly flown and seem very well looked after and loved, but inevitably they spend most of their lives in cages or tethered to perches.

This bird is a young peregrine, bred for falconry. He was beautiful and I watched him for hours and took loads of photos of him. He's drying off after bathing here ..

I originally was going to blip this photo of him - but felt that was a bit of a cheat - he was captive and I have to show him as such ..

He's gorgeous - and wouldn't exist if it weren't for falconry. Is it better he lives like this - or better he'd never been born?


Discuss ..

Here's a young peregrine I saw in the summer, living the life he *should* be living ..



Good viewed LARGE ..