Voice 1
Hello. I’m Mike Procter.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1
A bird’s cry fills the night air. It is a sound that local people know well. And it fills them with fear. It belongs to an owl. This large bird sleeps during the day. And at night, it begins to hunt. It is hard to see the owl’s brown and black wings in the dark. The owl watches from the tall tree tops. It can turn its head two hundred and seventy degrees in each direction! Its huge orange eyes see its next meal. The small creatures below do not have much chance. Rabbits and rats make the perfect meal. It is clear why the owl’s cry makes small creatures afraid. But, why does it frighten people?
Voice 2
Throughout history, owls have represented many things - fear, death, knowledge. The native people of North America were afraid of owls. They believed that the spirits of dead people lived in these birds. The ancient Greeks were also afraid of owls. The Greeks believed in many gods. One of these was Athene. She was the goddess of darkness. And they chose an owl to represent her. Ancient Greeks believed that owls were a sign that evil was coming. As time passed, these negative ideas became part of normal life.
Voice 1
Many countries around the world have old stories about owls. There may be one in your country.
Voice 3
In Afghanistan people say that the owl gave man tools to make fire. In return, man gave the owl its feathers. These feathers cover its body and keep it warm.
Voice 1
There is a traditional saying in North India.
Voice 3
If you eat the eyes of an owl, you can see in the dark.
Voice 1
This owl story is from the top of the world, the Arctic.
Voice 3
An evil person changed a little girl into a bird. She was very frightened. The little girl started to fly around. She hit a wall. The wall flattened her face. This is how the owl was created.
Voice 1
An old story from Poland tells why owls come out at night;
Voice 3
People thought owls were beautiful birds. The other birds did not like this. They attacked the owls. So the owls only came out at night.
And finally, in Kenya you may hear an owl sing. This is not good. It is a sign that something bad will happen. It can be a sign of death! Throw salt into the fire. This will stop anything bad happening to you.
Voice 2
For many years people have believed such invented stories about owls. This has led to fear and strange traditions about the birds. However, not everyone believes these stories. In fact, one man in Kenya is going against the traditional thinking in his country. He is working with owls.
Voice 1
Paul Murithi lives in Kiawara village near Mount Kenya. He has no fear of owls. He has a great interest in the birds. He says,
Voice 4
‘I saw these birds in the trees. And I was interested to know more about them. I often used to hear these owls hoot. And not one person in my family died or anything like that.’
Voice 2
Paul has been working with owls for over five years. The owls live in a forest near his home. Paul feeds and protects them. He has turned this part of the forest into a safe, protected environment - a ‘sanctuary.’
Voice 1
People pay money to visit the sanctuary. Paul has put signs on the main road for visitors. Foreign visitors, or tourists, pay more than a dollar to look at the owls. And the tourists also gain from Paul’s knowledge of them. But Paul does not ask the local people to pay. He wants them to see the birds and know their value. So what do the local people think of Paul’s owl sanctuary? One woman said,
Voice 5
‘We think it will bring development to the area, tourists will come here.’
Voice 2
The local authorities share this opinion. But not everyone is in support of the sanctuary. Another local woman said,
Voice 3
‘If someone dies, the owls cry a lot. I just do not like it.’
Voice 1
She has asked Paul to stop his work. Paul’s job is not easy. He is fighting years of traditional thinking. But he is not giving up. No harm has come to him. And his sanctuary is bringing tourists to the area. Local people can see the effects for themselves. Hopefully this will fight the fears from traditional thinking. As far as Paul is concerned, the future can only be good. Local authorities are in support of the sanctuary. This “Community Based Tourism” may be the way forward.
Voice 2
Doctor Kagagi is the chief of Kenya’s Tourism Trust Fund. The Tourism Trust Fund provides money for tourism projects in Kenya. Doctor Kagagi says,
Voice 4
“Community-based tourism is offering a new chance to people in Kenya. We want to develop new ways for visitors to enjoy our country.”
Voice 1
Doctor Kagagi wants communities in Kenya to start local tourism projects. He hopes this will bring more visitors to the country. This is important for Kenya’s economy. The country depends on the tourism industry for over twelve percent [12%] of its financial income.
Voice 2
Normally people visit Kenya to see wild animals or to enjoy swimming in the sea. But many visitors want more. They want to learn about Kenya’s culture. They want to know what it is like to live there. What traditions do Kenyans have? What do they believe? What kind of food do they eat? Some people especially want to learn about the ecology of Kenya. They want to know how some rare kinds of plants and animals are protected.
Voice 1
Paul Murithi’s owl project is a great example of how community based tourism can work. It brings tourists to the area. This helps the local economy. But these tourists are also interested in the local environment. They want to see how Paul cares for the owls. The visitors can also learn about what local people think of Paul’s bird sanctuary. They may hear stories about owls, and why some people do not like them. The visitors may tell some owl stories from their countries. This can help people from different cultures to understand each other better.
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