Harry Potter owl, Yogi, off to new home

Yogi was left homeless when the Rescuers’ Animal Sanctuary, in Watlington Road, Benfleet, started clearing out animals in its care.

The sanctuary’s owner, Veronica Mepham, 70, decided to close it down after the RSPCA gave her the choice of avoiding prosecution if it was shut.

But with foxes, horses and goats among the huge menagerie, it could have been some time before Yogi, a Bengalese eagle owl found himself a new perch.

Luckily, Owls R Us, in Wakering Avenue, Shoebury, stepped in to offer the handsome bird a home.

Owner, Keith Cole, 60, said the owl, who appeared in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was settling into his new home with 50 others.

He said: “He is fairly tame, so we hope to use him in our displays.

“We visit a lot of schools with our birds, which are hand reared, so they don’t mind being handled by the children. He should fit in well.

“Owls are more interesting than other birds. They are much more human.”

Mrs Mepham has escaped charges relating to not giving adequate veterinary treatment to injured animals and keeping a fox and fox cub in unsuitable conditions. She has denied the allegations.

Valerie Muncer and her husband Norman, 74, had Yogi since he was a hatchling more than 16 years ago.

They kept him until he became too big and handed him over to the sanctuary six years ago.

Mrs Muncer, 69, of Blenheim Chase, Leigh, said: “We had him from a baby and I used to keep him in a box until he got his flight feathers, but when he got bigger, he started breaking all my china so we had to put him outside.

“He used to come indoors and would sit on a stool and watch TV with us.

“Later we took him to the sanctuary, but always visited him and took food and donations. My husband would call him and he would fly to him straight away. He never forgot us and seemed well looked after.”

Mrs Muncer added: “We were worried what had happened to him after the sanctuary shut.

“So to hear he may have found a good home has made our day.”