The Owl 🦉
Malik Olamilekan Adeboye@adeboyemalikolamilekan580166
5 days ago
A Gift of Nature, Gravely Misunderstood
The owl 🦉 is one of the most innocent creatures on earth, yet it remains one of the most demonized in Africa, particularly in Nigeria where it is widely associated with wickedness, dark omens, and evil forces. I’m not certain whether this belief extends to other African countries, but in Nigeria, it runs deep.
This bird cannot fly or perch in peace.
The mere sight of an owl 🦉 triggers curses, rebukes, and a barrage of stones hurled with the intent to kill. Prayers and fasting follow, all aimed at combating its so-called spiritual threat. People genuinely believe it has come to survey them on behalf of their “village people,” to steal someone’s glory, or to claim an unknown innocent life in the neighborhood. The superstitions surrounding this bird are endless and frankly exhausting.
Yet the owl is a remarkable creature; its striking eyes, distinctive features, beautiful feathers, and elegant flying and perching styles make it truly one of nature’s masterpieces.
Just recently, I watched an owl perch on my neighbor’s window, simply seeking shelter from the rain 🌧️. The moment she realized what it was, chaos erupted, she began praying in tongues, scrambling for stones and sticks, and calling on neighbors for backup as though a snake had invaded her bedroom 😤. Thankfully, the owl escaped🤝. Had it been unable to fly, it would have been senselessly killed. That broke my heart, because beyond the superstition, these birds serve a vital role in our ecosystem, one that most people never stop to consider.
But the truth and reality: no owl is responsible for anyone’s downfall. Our predicaments in Africa, Nigeria in particular are largely consequences of human choices and actions. The same applies to what we hastily label “acts of God”: floods, disease outbreaks, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and other disasters are all human-induced, driven by our own negligence and destruction of the natural world.
So, many of us are overdue for a serious cognitive reset; one that helps us see the world through the lens of reason, responsibility, and reality 🤌🏻🥴🤣🤣
OLAMILEKAN: Yoruba conservationist 🖊️ 📚 🦉
