Minneapolis bird sanctuary visitors asked to stop harassing the owls

A volunteer group that helps support a local bird sanctuary has a message for visitors: quit messing with the owls.

In a Saturday Facebook post, Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary — specifically the Thomas Sadler Roberts Bird Sanctuary in Minneapolis' Lyndale Park, near Lake Harriet — says they've learned that "some people are going off trail and harassing an owl" roosting in a tree:

The group says some of the culprits even brought a ladder to get a "closer view" of the bird.

"Besides the fact that Park Board rules prohibit going off trail and harassing wildlife, it's very troubling that anyone would think this behavior is OK anywhere, and especially in a bird sanctuary," the post says.

"No picture is worth harassing and harming wildlife, not to mention disrupting and alarming other visitors to the Sanctuary."

According to the group's website , the sanctuary is used by nearly 130 bird species, including four types of owls: the eastern screech owl, the great horned owl, the barred owl and the long-eared owl.

Bring Me The News has reached out to Friends of Roberts Bird Sanctuary for comment.

The sanctuary, established in 1936, is a 31-acre site managed by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board. It was renamed in 1947 to honor Thomas Sadler Roberts, a doctor and University of Minnesota ornithology professor who is considered the father of Minnesota ornithology.

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