Rocco the Owl

Animal Name: Rocco

Animal Species: Barking Owl

Name of Zoo/Wildlife Attraction: National Zoo and Aquarium, ACT

About: The ACT's National Zoo and Aquarium received Rocco the Barking Owl and his sister as chicks, after which they were hand-raised by two of the attraction's keepers. Feathery and friendly, Rocco is very personable and has been trained to fly to people on command and catch his food in mid-air. Like all other barking owls, Rocco has two distinctive and unmistakeable calls from which they derive their name; one is a dog-like "woof" bark, while the second is a wailing cry like a human scream! These calls are widely considered to be the birthplace of the Australian legend of the Bunyip - a mythical creature said to lurk in outback waterholes.

Rocco is one of the animal residents of the ACT's National Zoo and Aquarium, which can boast having the status of the only combined zoo and aquarium in Australia making for a "two attractions in one" offering. The attraction is situated on a spacious 7 hectare section of land just 5 minutes from the centre of Canberra and contains a wide and varied blend of both native and exotic animals - as well as the largest inland saltwater tank in Australia. As well as standard exploratory zoo experiences, the zoo offers special "Zooventure" tours which offer an even greater degree of interaction with some of the most popular animals, allowing participants to hand-feed tigers, come face to face with lions, have bears lick honey from your hands and feed giraffes.

Barking owls are widely distributed amongst the Australian eastern and northern coastal areas while being absent from the central regions, where they reside in wooded areas and at the edges of forests, often making their roosts near to farmland. They nest in the hollows of trees in densely wooded areas that are abundant in their diverse preferred prey of small to medium sized mammals, reptiles and insects and even bats. Barking owls are brown with white spots and large yellow eyes with amazing eyesight that they use when hunting at night, although they also occasionally hunt during the day.

BARKING OWL

Distribution Map

Barking Owls are medium-sized owls between 39 and 44cm long and boasting an 85cm - 120cm wingspan, with males and females being close in size to one another. While they are widespread in terms of location, their numbers have been in decline and recent conservation efforts have been made in order to re-orientate the birds' population towards an upswing. Loss of habitat is the major reason for their decline as the removal of their preferred eucalypt forest has forced many of the birds to relocate elsewhere to less suitable living conditions. Other external factors such as poisoning from agricultural treatment, collisions with automobiles and barbed wire fences have also played a role.

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