Hope has brown feathers, sharp claws and bright yellow eyes with huge pupils. That’s why she always looks a bit scared: Oops! The researcher Martim Melo probably looked similarly surprised when he held a bird of the previously unknown scops owl species Otus bikegila in his hands for the first time. For almost 20 years he searched for the birds with the help of indigenous bird collectors on the small island of Príncipe. They were known as mysterious forest creatures for their tuo-tuu calls, but nobody had ever seen them. In general, the discovery of a new species is a minor sensation. There are currently 40,000 animal and plant species on the Red List of Threatened Species. Man-made environmental degradation has triggered the worst species extinction since the dinosaurs went extinct. The owl is therefore a symbol of hope, also with a view to a large conference for better species protection, to which more than 190 countries will meet in December. It’s just sad: the new owl species also ended up on the Red List shortly after it was discovered. The animals live on a protected island, but in a very small space. Storms or fires could wipe them out in one fell swoop.
Current – Tuu-tuu – society
