KINGSTON, Jamaica — Amid an outbreak of leptospirosis in Jamaica, Hope Zoo General Curator Joey Brown is highlighting one species of bird that is doing its part to keep the ecosystem balanced.

“A lot of people are used to the barn owls, the big white ones, which are really nice as well. And those barn owls are found, you know, throughout the world, North America, South America, but this Jamaican owl is obviously unique here,” Brown said, showing Observer Online one of the beautiful brown-faced owls that the Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation is rehabilitating.

Brown says both the barn and the Jamaican owl play a particularly important role in the ecosystem.

“They’re incredibly important for not only the ecosystem, but for kind of our well-being as well. Because obviously, what’s [an] issue right now? Leptospirosis, and one of the big spreaders of leptospirosis is what? Rats and mice. What do owls eat? On any given night, they’re eating, you know, anywhere from four to six mice and rats a night. It’s something where it’s like 3,000 rats a year,” he said.

Owl families can devour thousands of rodents per year, especially when feeding young owls or owlets.

Leptospirosis cases locally are trending down, according to the health ministry, following the declaration of an outbreak in November 2025 and several deaths.

“In Jamaican culture, you know, oftentimes they do have this maybe scary or mystic kind of belief. But you go to a lot of other places, they actually have almost like a higher ranking, you know, they represent wisdom, they represent kind of seniority type figures…But in reality, they are very peaceful animals. And they’re very important animals as well,” he explained.

Despite the superstitions attached to the birds, Brown is urging Jamaicans not to be frightened by the animal or treat it with cruelty.

“What I like to tell people is they’re like nature’s kind of pest control, you know. And so if you have an owl in your yard, or you can hear it’s actually a good thing. You know, they’re helping out to keep the rodents and mice away from your house and your farm. And like I said, they’re, they’re very shy, you know, they want nothing to do with people,” he said.

(Video: Ramon Thompson)