LONDON – It's not every day you're honoured with a library card in recognition of the work you do, especially when you're an owl.
The University of Bath, clearly recognising just how tragically under-represented our feathered friends are in the world of book-borrowing, have issued a library card to their resident seagull-scaring Eagle owl, Yoda.
Remember Yoda the owl - our resident campus gull controller!? @UniofBath have awarded him his own library card! pic.twitter.com/JbFFAVUpeI— Bath SU (@BathSU) July 27, 2015
Yoda is basically avian security – a 'bird bouncer', if you like - who is brought on to the University of Bath's campus twice a week in order to scare away pesky seagulls.
And now the seven-year-old bird can swing by the library after he's finished his shift, possibly to read about Hedwig or Winnie the Pooh's more boringly-named friend Owl, or any of the other avian literary greats out there.
There's a tame owl on campus and his name is Yoda. His job? To scare away seagulls. He's awesome. pic.twitter.com/2ylxWjZylA— Ron Morrow (@TheNorthernNerd) July 9, 2015
“The University has invited Yoda and his handler Marcus to visit the campus twice a week as an environmentally friendly method to control the seagull numbers on campus and thereby limit the potential adverse effects a large gull population can have," said a University of Bath spokesperson in a statement emailed to Mashable.
“During his visits, Yoda's presence has the effect of unsettling the gull population and dissuading them from hanging around on campus and from nesting further in the area."
The spokesperson went on to explain that Yoda has been hand-reared by this owner, making him sociable with humans.
“In recognition of his valuable service to the campus, the Library Management team has issued him with his own library card," they said.