Cornish Village Unveils Christmas Light Display Honoring Social Media Star Owl

The Cornish village where an injured owl, which achieved social media recognition, resides has commemorated it with a Christmas light installation. Dotty, a tawny owlet, sustained a leg injury in the barn of Diane Knight, 69, from Carnon Downs, after hatching. Mrs. Knight subsequently provided care for the owlet until its recovery. Following the unexpected success of videos featuring Dotty and her mother on Facebook, Mrs. Knight initiated the sale of owl calendars. The proceeds from these sales were allocated to three charities, including the village’s community association. Mrs. Knight mentioned receiving messages from individuals inquiring about the “massive Dotty light” in the village, which she characterized as “absolutely beautiful.” Initially, Mrs. Knight established a CCTV system for her personal observation of the owls in her barn. However, viewers from across the globe began to tune in after she started feeding dead mice to Dotty and her mother, subsequent to Dotty’s father abandoning the pair. When Dotty’s leg began to flop to one side, posing a threat to her life, Mrs. Knight was advised that the owlet’s only chance for recovery was to have a band placed on its leg while it healed. A week later, the band was removed, and “she could start to stand up of her own accord so it was absolutely brilliant,” Mrs. Knight stated. She further added: “And then, not long after that, she got herself out of the box.” Mrs. Knight decided to create the calendar due to the popularity of the videos and to express gratitude to those who had assisted Dotty, whose full name is Dorothea. She printed 170 calendars, generating more than £620, with the funds being divided equally among the village association, the British Trust for Ornithology, and Screech Owl Sanctuary and Animal Park. Debra Roberts, secretary of the Carnon Downs Community Association, remarked that “everybody absolutely loves” the Christmas light rendition of Dotty, noting that a social media post about it garnered the group’s highest ever number of likes. Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.