Hedwig look-alike passes away
November 19, 2003 at 6:47 PM ET
Cheeser
Wizard News (via News & Star)
Georgie, a white barn owl, star of the World Owl Trust
and immortalized on one of Britain's first stamps in the new millenium, has died of a stroke at age 13. Georgie was the same owl pictured earlier this year hobnobbing with Harry Potter stars Tom Felton, Jamie Waylett and Josh Herdman accepting Scotland's award for tourism.
"It might sound over the top but Georgie really was a very special bird and everyone loved him, especially me," said Tony Warburton, director of the World Owl Centre.
"One thing is for certain, he'll never be forgotten."
Georgie thrilled tens of thousands of visitors to Muncaster as the star of the Meet the Birds flying display for 13 years.
The centre, which is home to the world's finest owl collection, had been inundated with calls from parents wanting to buy owls for their children for Christmas [in 2001] after the Harry Potter film featured Hedwig the snowy owl.