May 2, 2025, 3:12 pm | Read time: 8 minutes
Clearly, owls are polarizing. While some associate them with dark nights in the forest and fear, others find the quirky birds simply adorable. However, few people know much about owls. Petfluencer Bianca Wiese aims to change that with her social media channel “Lieblingsfelle,” where she shares insights into living with her owl, Karma.
Owls have a mysterious, almost majestic, yet unintentionally comical aura. Perhaps that’s why they’ve become increasingly popular on social media in recent years. Offline, however, the situation is different. Many owl species are now considered endangered–and they are wild animals.
For this reason, they are generally not allowed to be kept as pets in Germany. Animal rights activist Bianca Wiese has a special permit and keeps Karma, a burrowing owl that cannot be released into the wild. On social media, she shares her life with “Zornrößchen,” as she affectionately calls Karma. She spoke with PETBOOK about her life with the owl.
“Our First Meeting Was Honestly Quite Dramatic–and Bloody”
PETBOOK: You live with an owl, among other things. How did that come about?
Bianca Wiese: “The owl was hand-raised by a falconer and could no longer be socialized with other owls. She also didn’t want to live alone in the aviary outside. I learned about her through professional contacts–it touched me. So, I adopted her.”
How did the early days with her go?
“Our first meeting was, honestly, quite dramatic–and bloody. I’m a dog trainer specializing in Molossers, the really big dogs. So, I confidently marched into her aviary. She immediately responded with an attack: She bloodied my nose. But that sparked my determination. I was determined to show her that we could make it work together.”
And how did you get used to each other? She actually lives with you in your apartment …
“Yes, she lives with me in the house–just like that, along with my dogs. She has her own room. The acclimatization went surprisingly quickly: She looked around for a day, and by the second day, she was fine with it. The chemistry between us was right from the start.”
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“My Dogs Have Quite a Bit of Respect for the Owl”
How did she react to your dogs?
“She was already familiar with dogs from the falconer, so it was quite uncomplicated. And my dogs have quite a bit of respect for her–not because she’s mean, but because of her presence. When she walks down the hallway, they make way for her. It’s just something about her. (laughs)”
How do people react to you living with an owl?
“About 90 percent of the reactions are positive. The remaining ten percent are critical–they find it relevant to animal welfare or say the owl belongs in the wild. I understand the concerns, but in her case, it’s just not possible.”
She couldn’t survive alone in the wild, could she?
“No, that’s out of the question. She’s hand-raised–such animals can’t just be released into the wild. They’re too imprinted on humans. And some animals can’t be socialized with their own kind later on. If a bird is nursed back to health as a chick, like her, it often remains dependent on humans for life. Sometimes there’s just no other option.”
Karma couldn’t hunt on her own, could she?
“No, not at all. She’s afraid of everything she should actually eat–grasshoppers, flies, and other small animals. If something like that is nearby, she runs away. She gets a chick to eat every day–that’s a must. She doesn’t like mice much, prefers chicks. As a snack, she gets a few worms–but everything else scares her. She doesn’t show any hunting behavior.”
“The Owl Is Very Social and Needs a Lot of Company”
What does your daily routine look like?
“The day starts very early and ends late. The owl is very social and needs a lot of company. She likes to be in the middle of things and seeks a lot of closeness. Of course, she can be alone for two or three hours–I go to work like anyone else. But when I come home, she calls for me immediately. You can tell she’s very attached to me.”
Do you play together?
“Owls aren’t particularly playful–and at four years old, even less so. When I took her in, she was already six months old. Even then, playful behavior was hardly present. That’s generally rare with owls.”
Are burrowing owls more solitary or do they live in groups?
“Burrowing owls live more alongside each other than together. They don’t form real groups, nor do they hunt together. But where there’s one, there are usually others nearby–every few meters, there’s one. They don’t need a permanent partner, but they’re not completely alone either.”
How old can owls get when they live in human care?
“There are only a few comparable cases because so few burrowing owls live in human care. I know of two or three documented examples–they lived to be eight to ten years old. That’s about the average with proper care in captivity.”
“When the Owl Moved in With Me, I Had Just Gone Through a Really Tough Time”
How did you come up with the idea to make videos?
“When the owl moved in with me, I had just gone through a really tough time. This little 150-gram bird helped me immensely. She makes me laugh every day–sometimes on purpose, sometimes unintentionally.
I just uploaded a video once, and the reactions were overwhelming: Many people wrote that they immediately have to laugh when they see the owl. That’s how the idea to post regularly came about. I realized: It not only does me good, but others as well. And that’s exactly why I stuck with it.”
You get some really harsh comments. Some claim it’s relevant to animal welfare. Others are even quite mean. How do you deal with such reactions?
“I’m the walking sarcasm. On my Instagram page, I have a story highlight called ‘Sarkasmus2go.’ There, I repost such intrusive comments–of course, with a sarcastic response.
At first, these comments did affect me because I really work hard every day–not just for the owl, but for all my animals. But eventually, I realized: I keep explaining on my pages why I do what I do. I see that my animals are doing well. And that’s why I’m above it now.”
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“Karma Tried to Attack the Editor”
If you compare your owl to other pets–like your dogs–what are the biggest differences?
“The owl is extremely territorial–much more so than any of my four dogs. She has a strong presence. A dog can be trained and sometimes convinced otherwise. The owl? No chance. If she wants or doesn’t want something, that’s it. There’s no discussion. It’s her decision–and that’s final.”
How does the owl behave when you have visitors?
“It totally depends on the person. If she finds someone unpleasant, she stays in the room. You can hear her, but she doesn’t come out. With others, she comes right out to see or even sits with them. We once had a TV crew here–she really liked the host and sat next to him.
But an editor with a hat? That didn’t work at all. She tried to attack the editor. I had to have a serious talk with her, and then it was fine for the shoot. But she makes very clear distinctions with people–she’s very selective. Generally, she doesn’t like hats, caps, or hair ties. I can’t even dye my hair.”
You mentioned earlier that she recognizes your tone of voice. That almost sounds like real training. What was your life together like at the beginning? Did you train any special things for that?
“It wasn’t training in the classical sense–no program like with dogs. It developed through our daily life together. After three and a half years, she knows me very well: my tone of voice, my mood, whether I’m in a good or bad mood. She responds to it very sensitively. I wouldn’t have thought it at first, but emotionally, owls can perceive and process a lot.”
“I’m a Crime Scene Cleaner …
Is Karma house-trained?
“No, I lovingly call myself a crime scene cleaner. I have to clean and disinfect two to three times a day. (laughs)”
Are there any specific rituals or favorite activities with Karma?
“Yes, she loves the show ‘Grip.’ When I say ‘Grip’ is on, she comes running, and we watch together.”
Would you recommend owls as pets?
“No, absolutely not. If an owl has the opportunity to live outside or in an aviary with other owls, that’s always preferable.”
What are the legal requirements for keeping owls?
“You need permits from the veterinary office and the nature conservation authority. They also come regularly for inspections. They check the owl and her accommodation to ensure she has everything she needs, like a sand bath and water stations.”
Have you been asked if you can take in more owls?
“Yes, but I don’t do that. Karma can’t be socialized with other owls.”