DrEvil » Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:57 pm wrote:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31628508
Dutch town takes up umbrellas against rogue owl attacks
Residents in the northern Dutch town of Purmerend have been advised to take umbrellas out at night after a spate of attacks by an owl.
Dozens of residents have suffered head injuries over the past three weeks at the claws of the rogue European eagle owl.
Two runners were attacked on Tuesday, with one requiring stitches for five separate head wounds.
The European eagle owl's usual prey are small mammals and birds.
Falconer
One of the sites of the attacks has been a home for the disabled.
Liselotte de Bruijn, a spokeswoman for the home, told the AFP news agency that residents and workers had suffered at least 15 separate attacks by the nocturnal bird, which remains at large.
"During the day there's no problem, but at night we now only venture outside armed with umbrellas, helmets and hats, anything really, to protect ourselves," said Ms de Bruijn.
Dutch bank Rabobank has donated umbrellas to the home, and a spokesman for the company told local broadcaster RTVNH that it intended to send a falconer.
The Dutch Owl Foundation says the animal's unusual behaviour may be the result of being reared in captivity and associating humans with food, or it may simply be that the owl has heightened hormone levels as the breeding season begins.
Purmerend council advised residents against attempting to capture the owl.
"These procedures can still take some time," a statement said. "Meanwhile, we are advising people to stay away from the owl."
The European eagle owl is one of the world's largest owl species, with a wing-span of up to 1.8m (6ft) and weight up to 3kg (7lbs).
OK, which of the staff was mean to the owl?
I ask because back when I was on the food trucks in red square we had one cook that would mess with the seagulls and crows. He would yell, clap, strike at them with his broom and otherwise bother them. His truck had to be washed more than ours because it was obviously a target for the birds.They would also swoop next to his head and harrass him in other ways
He also wore a do-rag kind of hat and a hoodie. I was wearing a black scarf and hoodie at the time. One day, I'm relaxing on break with another cook and I feel a distinct 'plop' dead center on my head. I took off my scarf- HUUUUUGE seagull shit. I just know I was collateral damage because from above, no doubt I looked like the other cook. (for the record, I always fed the birds and they mostly left me alone...)
Perhaps the owl is cueing off uniforms or some other garment, which in a institutional setting is likely to be similar.
