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Owl Resource Page
The wizarding world fandom has had a long history of using owls for the entertainment of fans. Owls are sensitive animals who don’t want to be handled at a theme park, forced to have flashing lights around them, or subjected to loud and uncomfortable music. The Protego Foundation has gone through the entire history of our fandom to compile and document every instance of owl-use, what happened in each situation, and what still can be done.
In addition to this historical and current catalogue of owl-use, The Protego Foundation has included a “Report Owls” feature where YOU can help us get live owls out of events. If you are at a magically-inspired event and see owls being used, this anonymous form will allow you to report the live owls, and The Protego Foundation will do the rest! |
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort
As far as The Protego Foundation has been able to find, there have been no instances of owls being used within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter park at Universal Orlando Resort or during opening ceremonies at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley.
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER AT UNIVERSAL Studios Hollywood
As far as The Protego Foundation has been able to find, there have been no instances of owls being used within The Wizarding World of Harry Potter park at Universal Studios Hollywood or during opening ceremonies at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Hogsmeade.
Universal Studios Hollywood featured a show titled “Universal’s Animal Actors,” where two Eurasian eagle-owls who were used in the Harry Potter films would appear daily. In the show, the owls were paraded around the stadium full of people and are surrounded by loud music and clapping. The "Universal's Animal Actors" show will be permanently closed starting January 8th, 2023 to make way for new attractions.
Universal Studios Hollywood featured a show titled “Universal’s Animal Actors,” where two Eurasian eagle-owls who were used in the Harry Potter films would appear daily. In the show, the owls were paraded around the stadium full of people and are surrounded by loud music and clapping. The "Universal's Animal Actors" show will be permanently closed starting January 8th, 2023 to make way for new attractions.
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS Japan
When The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened at Universal Studios Japan, the opening ceremony for the general public featured at least two great horned owls. From 2014 to the middle of 2018, live owl photo ops were a feature at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter park at Universal Studios Japan. The owls were tied to a pedestal and had to endure multiple people quickly coming up to them, all while surrounded by loud music, startling voices from attendees, and flashes from cameras and phones.
The Protego Foundation highlighted this exploitative feature and the photo ops were quietly retired. Warner Bros. has confirmed to The Protego Foundation that there are no longer owls being used inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan.
The Protego Foundation highlighted this exploitative feature and the photo ops were quietly retired. Warner Bros. has confirmed to The Protego Foundation that there are no longer owls being used inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan.
THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER AT UNIVERSAL Beijing Resort
As of 2021, Warner Bros. and the Harry Potter Global Franchise Development team have confirmed to The Protego Foundation that no live owls will be featured inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter or at the opening of the theme park.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter
In March of 2015, after receiving complaints from visitors over animal abuse on the Animal Actors tour at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, distressed owls were found kept in tiny cages and were forced to perform “tricks” in front of crowds of people and flashing lights. Members of the public were encouraged to touch the frightened birds and one trainer even irresponsibly told visitors to go out and buy their own owls.
Owls are wild, solitary, nocturnal predators, and it’s completely against their nature to be tethered inside tiny cages, forced to perform tricks, and exposed to crowds, flash photography, and loud noises. These conditions have the potential to cause them tremendous stress. They don’t enjoy the company of humans or like to be touched by them, and they need to sleep during the day, not be harassed by visitors. Touching owls, which visitors were encouraged to do, interferes with the natural oils in their feathers that keep them warm, and the owls desperately chewed at their tethers and shook their heads in the blinding light of camera flashes.
The “Animal Actor” tour at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London has been retired and animal-loving fans will be excited to learn that no live animals feature at The Making of Harry Potter.
Owls are wild, solitary, nocturnal predators, and it’s completely against their nature to be tethered inside tiny cages, forced to perform tricks, and exposed to crowds, flash photography, and loud noises. These conditions have the potential to cause them tremendous stress. They don’t enjoy the company of humans or like to be touched by them, and they need to sleep during the day, not be harassed by visitors. Touching owls, which visitors were encouraged to do, interferes with the natural oils in their feathers that keep them warm, and the owls desperately chewed at their tethers and shook their heads in the blinding light of camera flashes.
The “Animal Actor” tour at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London has been retired and animal-loving fans will be excited to learn that no live animals feature at The Making of Harry Potter.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Stage Productions
On July 5th, 2016, the London production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child had its first preview performance that featured a live barn owl named Sprocket. During the performance, Sprocket was shaken, confused, and disorientated by the noise of the audience and flew up into the rafters of the theatre, ignoring the summoning calls of the trainers tasked to capture her.
After the disastrous preview, the Cursed Child producers made the kind decision to cut the live birds out of the play entirely – a decision that continues at all Harry Potter and the Cursed Child plays and productions around the world.
After the disastrous preview, the Cursed Child producers made the kind decision to cut the live birds out of the play entirely – a decision that continues at all Harry Potter and the Cursed Child plays and productions around the world.
HARRY POTTER Film Series
The iconic Harry Potter film series has featured live owls and other animals in nearly every one of the eight films that make up the franchise. In 2009, a U.K. trainer who provided some of the owls for the film series pleaded guilty to 17 cruelty-to-animals offenses after humane authorities found dozens of emaciated and dehydrated birds with severe injuries, overgrown beaks, and swollen and clubbed feet. The birds were confiscated.
In 2010, two British animal trainers who supplied a tawny owl named Cuddles for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire were charged by the RSPCA for alleged cruelty to animals.
In 2017, trained-animal vendor, BAU, was investigated for alleged violations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Welfare Act for chronic neglect to animals including sick and injured animals who went without adequate veterinary care, filthy enclosures, and animals who were denied food so that they would be hungry when being trained to do tricks. Among the animals found at BAU was an owl named Crash, who BAU staff claimed was used in the Harry Potter movies. Crash was forced to live in a feces-strewn enclosure that went uncleaned for at least six weeks. He and other birds of prey lived in inadequate, small enclosures and were deprived of both sensory stimulation and socialization.
In 2010, two British animal trainers who supplied a tawny owl named Cuddles for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire were charged by the RSPCA for alleged cruelty to animals.
In 2017, trained-animal vendor, BAU, was investigated for alleged violations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Welfare Act for chronic neglect to animals including sick and injured animals who went without adequate veterinary care, filthy enclosures, and animals who were denied food so that they would be hungry when being trained to do tricks. Among the animals found at BAU was an owl named Crash, who BAU staff claimed was used in the Harry Potter movies. Crash was forced to live in a feces-strewn enclosure that went uncleaned for at least six weeks. He and other birds of prey lived in inadequate, small enclosures and were deprived of both sensory stimulation and socialization.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find THem FILM SERIES
The Fantastic Beasts series features owls, but Protego Foundation supporters and members can rest easy knowing that, as far as The Protego Foundation has been able to find, all of the owls are CGI.
Report owls being used
If you attend a fandom event that features live owls, use the below report function to get in touch with The Protego Foundation. Our team of advocacy experts will reach out to the organizers of the event and will work with them to replace live owls with other fun and interactive magical elements. Your submission will be made 100% anonymously, so you can feel comfortable helping these owls without anyone knowing your identity.
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