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Owl’s well that ends well: A conservation tale at the UFS

04 July 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Ruan Higgs, Van Tonder Photography, and Tanya Scherman

Barn Owl — A quiet presence with a powerful impact – the barn owls nesting in the UFS Sasol Library have become unexpected ambassadors for conservation, inspiring hands-on research, community care, and a deeper connection between people and nature.

High above the shelves and silent study spaces of the Sasol Library at the University of the Free State (UFS), a quiet conservation success story is unfolding. A pair of barn owls have been nesting in the library’s roof space – raising chicks, hunting on campus grounds, and becoming an unexpected symbol of ecological balance and cross-departmental collaboration.

More than just a charming tale of urban wildlife, their presence is also prompting reflection on the evolving purpose of academic spaces.

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, whose portfolio includes libraries, sees the owls as part of something much deeper. “If we consider Shakespeare’s play, All’s Well That Ends Well, then the presence of the owls in the Sasol Library confirms another meaning of that play.”

“Love,” Prof Reddy says, “is not always considered noble, but is something persistent, and our library is not just a building, but a living ecosystem where precious documents, people, and even animals can interact, shape, and nurture our lives.”

The owls had been observed roosting at the library since 2016, but their fate took a turn in 2023 when a distressed owl was spotted outside the building. Tanya Scherman from the Centre for Teaching and Learning was the first to respond. “It appeared that the owl had been poisoned, most likely secondary poisoning from a contaminated rodent,” she explains. That moment became the catalyst for a grassroots conservation initiative – one that brought together concerned staff, students, and wildlife researchers.

“I phoned around trying to find more knowledgeable people who could help,” says Scherman. “I consulted with a local vet, the Owl Rescue Centre in Pretoria, and Prof Francois Deacon from our Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. I wanted to know how we could keep the owls safe on campus.”

Prof Deacon, who lectures in the Department of Animal Sciences, immediately saw the potential. “As someone passionate about urban wildlife conservation, I saw a great opportunity – not just to support the owls, but to involve students in hands-on learning,” he says. “These projects offer rare chances to study natural animal behaviour in real time, outside the confines of a lab.”

Together with his postgraduate students, Ruan Higgs and Kaitlyn Taylor, the team assessed the owls’ behaviour and advised on the design of a suitable nesting structure. They also installed a motion-triggered, infrared field camera to monitor the owls’ activity safely and without disruption.

But first, the nesting box had to be built. That part of the project became unexpectedly personal. “I worked with my dad to build it,” says Scherman. “He’s an avid animal lover too, and we spent a weekend sawing, sanding, and assembling the box using a blueprint we found online.” With the help of Prof Deacon’s team, the completed structure was carried up into the roof space and secured on a ledge that the owls already favoured. “It was such a special moment to share with my family,” she adds.

A window into wildlife on campus

Scherman and Prof Deacon’s efforts have already yielded encouraging results. In 2023, a breeding pair successfully raised two owlets. “This year we found six eggs,” Scherman shares. “Of those, we are currently able to see three owlets.”

For Prof Deacon and his students, the camera has opened a window into the birds’ world. “It captures feeding events, chick development, and parental behaviour,” he explains. “This kind of passive monitoring is invaluable – it provides long-term data without human interference.” The footage has already formed the basis of student research into owl diet, chick growth, and even nesting material preferences – insights that could guide future conservation projects both at the UFS and beyond.

“These owls are teaching tools,” he says. “They bring textbooks to life for students studying ecology, animal behaviour, and sustainable land use.” He adds that the project also demonstrates how scientific knowledge can directly benefit local ecosystems. “It shows that biodiversity and human development can coexist with the right approach. Even a university library can become a habitat.”

Barn owls also play a practical ecological role on campus. “A single owl pair can eat hundreds of rodents in a breeding season, reducing the need for poisons and pesticides,” says Prof Deacon. And it’s not just rodents. “We found remains of small birds and insects in their regurgitated pellets,” Scherman notes, “which shows just how active and adaptive they are in an urban environment.”

Still, their survival is not guaranteed. Urban owls face risks ranging from road traffic to poisoning. “If you ever find an injured owl or have concerns, don’t try to help it yourself,” Scherman advises. “Rather contact Prof Deacon or me. We’re here to assist.”

“Awareness builds respect,” Prof Deacon adds. “When people know that these owls are quietly raising a family above their heads, it shifts how they interact with the space. We ask people to avoid making loud noises or using flash photography near the nesting site. Simple behaviours, such as keeping windows closed at night near the roost, go a long way towards protecting them.”

A library as a living ecosystem

As the project gained momentum, so did its symbolic weight across campus. Prof Reddy reflects on how a seemingly disruptive moment became something much more valuable:

“It is clear that what may be seen as a disruptive incident with an owl swooping into our library space is also a pedagogical and deeply conservation touchdown.”

For Prof Reddy “it inspires us to bring science and the love of books to become a teachable opportunity. If libraries are stereotypically perceived to be the quiet corner of academia, then our barn owl event tells us that our library is also a space where silence meets storytelling. The barn owls sparked a conversation about nature, knowledge, and care. It tells us that our library has become an ecosystem of compassion, where not simply books and knowledge matter, but where every creature’s story has a rightful place. This event has mobilised so many different parts of both the university and external communities. We are greatly inspired”.

Changing perceptions, protecting heritage

The project also touched on a deeper cultural significance. Owls are often misunderstood, linked to myths or fear in some communities. “It’s understandable,” Scherman says, “with their eerie calls, white faces, and ghost-like flight. But they are also messengers, protectors, and symbols of wisdom in many traditions.”

She believes education is key to changing these perceptions: “Let us embrace the opportunity to coexist respectfully with nature and wildlife. The presence of owls among us is a living testament to the rich biodiversity that thrives even in urban spaces.”

For Scherman, the project was far more than a conservation effort. It was a passion project rooted in her own family history. “My grandparents also had a special connection to owls, so this felt very close to home,” she says. “Observing their habits and individuality made me feel like their caretaker. When we saw the baby owlets, I naturally felt like I was being promoted to an owl-granny!”

Prof Deacon reflects on how the project has enriched campus relationships. “What’s been most rewarding was how many people came together around this – from librarians to students to scientists. We built friendships, not just a nest box.” He adds that librarian Hesma van Tonder even joined one of their giraffe capture excursions. “That kind of connection – between research and real-life adventure – is what makes conservation come alive.”

Looking ahead, he hopes that this project will inspire more cross-campus initiatives. “We’re exploring green corridors, rooftop biodiversity zones, and opportunities to conserve other species such as bats and pollinators,” he says. “It’s only the beginning. Hopefully, other departments such as Zoology and Botany can also come on board in the future.”

A space for stories – and for nature

As the owls continue to thrive above the Sasol Library’s quiet corners, their presence invites the university to see its own spaces differently – as places where knowledge, nature, and compassion can coexist.

Prof Reddy reflects on this shared journey:

“The owls invited themselves because they were disoriented and distressed. As a caring university, we demonstrate through our tangible actions that their arrival further ignites our curiosity as a university with a heart. In this way, our library shows how we connect to the world by sheltering not just precious books and knowledge, but that we are an important ecosystem of empathy. Our aspirations for research excellence and impact gains new ground as a vehicle for innovation, equity, and community. My heartfelt appreciation goes out to all our colleagues who are working tirelessly on their thoughtful and dedicated interventions.”

And in closing, he offers a final reflection on what this small but meaningful story reveals about the university’s future:

“If our university matters and is to remain meaningful, our accidental visitors have given new impetus to the fact that our library space holds our stories, and they are making places for new ones as part of our responsible societal futures.”

News Archive

Official opening ceremony of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus

2006-02-15

Official opening ceremony of the UFS Qwaqwa Campus
11th February 2006 – Multipurpose Hall

Opening Speech:
Prof. Peter A. Mbati
Campus Principal

Successfully rising to the challenges of incorporations and mergers – developing a vibrant and academically stimulating satellite campus of the University of the Free State.

Thank you Mr. Program Director and good morning ladies and gentlemen.

I wish to once again welcome all of you to the official opening ceremony of the University of the Free State QQ campus. Thank you for taking time to share with us an important date in our campus academic calendar. I bring you greetings from our Rector and Vice Chancellor Prof. Frederick Fourie.

During such occasions we try and reflect on important matters that have affected us as an institution in the preceding year, commit ourselves to specific objectives for the current year, while planning for the proceeding year.

Today I shall be talking on Successfully rising to the challenges of incorporations and mergers – developing a vibrant and academically stimulating satellite campus of the University of the Free State’.

SRC inauguration
I would like to congratulate the SRC President and the entire SRC leadership for being elected into important positions of student leadership and authority.

As a university we are proud of the quality of our student leadership on the Qwaqwa campus. I am confident that you young leaders will rise to the challenges of your office and discharge your duties with diligence and without fear or favour. That you will rise above your party affiliations and provide effective leadership to the entire student body on campus.

Leadership is complex and requires you to be objective, just and fair in your approach to the many challenges that you will encounter. You will be judged not by the populist decision that you take when confronted with difficult choices, but rather, on the wisdom that you exercise in reaching consensus in decision making processes.

The era when management and student leadership viewed each other with suspicion and as adversaries is long gone. Management, academic and administrative staff, parents and students must have common agendas in as far the quality growth and development of our university is concerned and to strive towards academic excellence. I leave the challenge to you students, and more so to the inaugurated student leaders to define your agenda in achieving this noble objective. I trust that you will make the right choices.

Brief history of incorporation
On the recommendations of the National Working Group of Higher Education, the Qwaqwa Campus of the then University of the North was incorporated into the University of the Free State on 1st January 2003. We suddenly had to move from a campus that was originally semi-autonomous and with its own culture developed over almost 20 years, into a campus that had to operate as a fully integrated campus of the UFS, a 100 year old institution with its distinct culture.

Following incorporation, we not only had to continue with our core business of teaching, learning, research and community service, but we also had to engage in other important aspects such as exploring the most appropriate models of governance for the campus, encouraging dialogue and interactions at all levels between personnel at the different campuses with a view to developing trust between colleagues. And with the added dimensions such as participation in the transformation task team we in effect are at the fore front of developing a new institutional culture at the UFS and a truly South African University.

UFS Strategic objectives
The strategic and transformation priorities of the University of the Free State for 2006 – 2008 as approved by the Executive Management at its retreat in January 2006 are:

Quality and Excellence
Equity, diversity and redress
Financial sustainability
Regional co-operation and engagement

Central to this priority is the integration of the Qwaqwa campus as a valuable constituent part of the UFS, and the strategic reconfiguration of the campus in order that the UFS can play a meaningful role in regional engagement and development.

National leadership

The five strategic objectives cannot be viewed in isolation and run simultaneously and in concert with each other.

The Question must therefore be what we on the QQ campus, staff and students, parents and our broader community are willing to do to achieve these strategic objectives. The reconfiguration and strategic planning of this campus, and therefore its success, must be a collaborative effort between colleagues at QQ and on the main campus. We must all be ready to work together, to plan together, to shoulder responsibilities together and sometimes, to share the pain and disappointments together.

The second question must therefore be: are we prepared to go that extra mile for our campus to ensure that we claim our rightful stake within the ranks of well respected academic institutions of higher learning in this country? At this point in its history this campus requires committed men and women from across the cultural spectrum who appreciate the challenges ahead of us and who are ready to give of their best and to constructively engage at all levels to make this dream a reality. Because this dream is possible and this dream will be realized!

Quality and Excellence (1st strategic objective)

As mentioned by the Rector in his speech at the official opening ceremony of the university on the main campus on Friday 3rd February, the university will in 2006 pay extra attention to Quality and Excellence. This is informed by the Higher Education Quality Committee’s (HEQC) institutional audit which is scheduled to take place this year. Our university as well as several other HEI’s will be subjected to this audit. This will call for a lot of hard work on your part in preparation for a successful audit and in this regard therefore I request for your cooperation.

As a further step in confirming our commitment to quality and excellence, we have simultaneously introduced on the QQ campus and the main campus workshops on performance management systems to a cohort group. This will be expanded in 2006 to a wider group of managers on the QQ campus to include among others all Program Heads and Subject Heads. PMS is an invaluable tool for fair, effective and efficient management of a very important resource on campus – the human resource. Benefits of PMS include among others:

Instilling and enriching a culture of performance management (quality assurance) as an integral part of the day to day functioning of staff at the campus
Improving staff performance through mentoring, development and training

Tri campus project
One of the more important projects that we as a university undertook in 2005 was the Tri Campus Project which was coordinated by the Free State Higher Education Consortium (FSHEC) through Niel Butcher and Associates consultants.

The Tri-Campus project focused on the strategic planning for higher education campuses in the Free State that have been incorporated with UFS and CUT during the reshaping of the South African higher education landscape. The Bloemfontein Vista campus and the Qwaqwa campus of the University of the North were incorporated with the UFS, and the Welkom Vista campus with the CUT.

The planning process involved a range of research and consultation activities during the course of 2005. This included:

Conducting situational analyses of the Qwaqwa campus during which staff and students were widely consulted;
Consulting with the campus and with a range of stakeholders in the sub-region
Review of the Free State Provincial Growth and Development Strategy and Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) of the regions and other research of relevance to the sub-regions, province and country.

An operational framework for the reconfiguration of the campus with a range of possible Program Qualification Mixes has been produced. In December 2005, the Rector, the Vice Rector Academic Planning Prof. Magda Fourie and I discussed this document with senior members of the DoE in Pretoria, and we will soon be meeting with the National Minister of Education Me Naledi Pandor for her guidance and to seek support in the further refinement of the document and subsequent implementation.

Recapitalization
This year a further R 6 M has been budgeted for recapitalization. In about two weeks time the third of phase of renovations on campus will commence and attention will be given to the administration building, the humanities and the outstanding work in the lecture hall complex. There- after the library, sciences and education buildings will follow. As you will recall a substantial portion of the R 8.4 million in 2005 was used to upgrade the student residences and the lecture hall complex.

I am certain that the renovations and upgrading of our infrastructure and physical facilities including landscaping will create an enabling environment for you to enjoy your work and studies on this campus.

Renovations come with some measure of inconveniences and I therefore wish to request for your patience and support during this period.

Closing remarks
There is a heightened spirit of optimism on what the future holds for this campus. This is evident when I talk to a large cross section of staff and students of this campus – and I therefore invite all of you to come and be partners with us on this journey of optimism and hope of what the future holds for the UFS – QQ campus.

Thank you and God bless!

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