The guy holding the owl in the photo is the rescuer, not the “depositer!” He says he’s running into too many people not reading the article and think he did it.

From Times LIVE - South Africa

24 April 2024

Customers and staff at an Absa branch in Gauteng were dumbstruck when a customer tried to open a bank account using a live barn owl as a deposit.

The unlucky predator’s luck changed when the man was told the bank could only accept legal tender, and his feathered friend was whisked to safety after intervention by the Owl Rescue Centre.

Absa confirmed the unusual request was made last Wednesday at a branch in Westonaria.

“As a trusted banking partner servicing customers from all walks of life over many years, we are committed to supporting our customers even when it comes to unusual life situations because every story matters,” said a spokesperson.

“We can confirm a customer approached our Westonaria branch on April 24 wanting to open a bank account and offering a live owl as a deposit. Given that we are a financial institution, and we only accept legal tender as deposits, we were unable to assist the customer, and cannot comment on the customer’s rationale for his approach.”

They immediately reached out for help.

“Our branch colleagues enlisted the assistance of the Owl Rescue Centre and saved the life of a beautiful owl because owl stories matter too,” the spokesperson said.

Absa had more good news for bird lovers.

“While we don’t accept animals, or livestock, as deposits, we are thrilled to announce Birdlife South Africa will soon be one of our Absa Rewards beneficiaries to which customers can donate through our free Absa Rewards programme.”

We interrupt this newscast for the following addendum:

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Back to our story!

Hartbeespoort Dam-based animal rescuer Brendan Murray said: “We have had stranger rescues and more difficult ones. My wife Danelle started Owl Rescue in Harties about 15 years ago. Since then almost not a day has gone by without us being called out to rescue some sort of animal.”

He was alerted to the owl’s predicament.

“I immediately rushed over and we saved another one of our animal friends.”

Murray believes the man originally wanted to sell the owl.

“He first went to a muti shop close to the bank but the owner said they don’t buy live animals. From there, he went to the bank.

“There seem to be a lot of people who believe it is OK to catch wild animals and sell them to businesses. We were called a while back by a pawnshop in Hillbrow. When I arrived there was an owl sitting at the entrance in a gilded cage from the 1980s.”

They recently helped relocate an owl from Saudi Arabia to an animal rehab centre in Turkey.

“We did the organising and managed all the EFT payments and everything without leaving South Africa.””