“Larger Than Life” - Great-horned Owl
20 inches high x 10.5 inches wide

“Great-horned owls do not have many natural predators. However, human beings often pose the most dangerous threat to owls and other large predatory birds.

“For quite some time, there have been conflicts between rodents and man. People often choose to use rodenticides if they have rat or mouse issues in or near their homes. While no one wants to have rats and mice around their house, the choices people make to eliminate pests from their property are a concern.

“Initially, rodenticides seem to be the most effective answer to the rodent problem. However, most retailers will not tell buyers that these products are very dangerous to local raptors and other predators. Rodenticides kill not only the rats, but also the owls and other predators that eat the poisoned rodents. The poison is a hemorrhagic and the animals die slowly over a few days, which makes the poison a danger to all animals that come in contact with it, including people’s pets.

“Snap traps are unsavory but cleanly kill the rodents without causing collateral damage to other wildlife.”