Bosses at the Harry Potter studio tour have been accused of mistreating owls . Animal rights campaigners said camera flashes were extremely distressing for the birds , which have highly sensitive eyes . They are also kept in small cages for long periods and forced to perform ‘ demeaning ’ tricks , a report added . Undercover footage shows birds chewing at their tethers and shaking their heads , apparently in alarm . A Harry Potter tour that keeps owls in cages and allows fans to touch them is 'cruel ' and 'demeaning ' , animal rights campaigners have claimed . Secret footage obtained by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals ( PETA ) at the end of February shows how the owls are treated at The Making of Harry Potter tour . The owls are part of Warner Brothers ’ Making of Harry Potter tour in Leavesden , Hertfordshire . In the books and films , Harry Potter has a pet snowy owl called Hedwig that was given to him as a birthday gift by gamekeeper Hagrid . Among its tasks was to fly into Hogwarts School to deliver Harry ’ s letters . At the studio tour , which costs £33 for an adult ticket , fans can meet ‘ Hedwig ’ as well as other animals from the franchise . The owls are a hit with visitors , many of whom take pictures with the birds to post on social media . But People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ( Peta ) said flashes from cameras terrified the owls , while trainers encouraging people to stroke the birds left them agitated . The owls also perform tricks - like picking up a 'passport ' with their beak - in front of crowds . The charity launched an undercover investigation after receiving complaints from concerned visitors to the attraction . It has called for the tour to stop using live animals . In a letter to Warner Brothers , Peta ’ s Yvonne Taylor said : ‘ The “ trainers ” supervising the tour showed gross negligence both in handling the birds and in ensuring public safety . As well as the tricks , they actively encouraged flash photography . ‘ Owls have especially acute vision and find blinding camera flashes extremely distressing – this can be seen in Peta ’ s footage as they respond by desperately chewing at their tethers and shaking their heads . ‘ A trainer cajoled people to touch the frightened birds , ignoring signs telling people not to ... as well as being stressful for the owls this also interferes with the natural oils in their feathers that keep them warm. ’ A lot of the owls at the tour are tethered to posts . The findings have prompted PETA to send a letter to Warner Brothers , which runs the tour , calling on the company to commit to a ban on using live animals . A tour spokesman said : 'The owls ' welfare is of paramount importance to us and they are exclusively handled by the experts at Birds & Animals which owns and trains them ' Harry Potter author JK Rowling has previously warned against keeping owls , saying : ‘ If anybody has been influenced by my books to think an owl would be happiest shut in a small cage and kept in a house , I would like to say as forcefully as I can , you are wrong. ’ A Harry Potter tour spokesman said the owls ’ welfare ‘ is of paramount importance to us and they are exclusively handled by the experts at Birds & Animals , which owns and trains them ’ . A spokesman for Birds & Animals , which provides animals for the entertainment industry , added : ‘ During their appearance at the studio tour the owls were given regular breaks , they were not exposed to any situations that would make them distressed and they were checked by a vet . ’
Owls also lined up on posts at The Making of Harry Potter tour . Visitors encouraged to touch the birds and take photos , campaigners said . Secret footage of the tour obtained by PETA at the end of February . Tour spokesman insisted the owls ' welfare was of 'paramount importance '