Dutch town cowers in terror over Eagle owl attacks

Bird watchers in the Dutch town of Purmerend are scratching their heads for more reasons than one over the mysterious behaviour of an eagle owl. The bird in question, which is normally wary of humans, has been extremely aggressive and has attacked several people over the past few weeks. Niels Vernooijen claims to have been a victim of the owl. He described his ordeal as being hit with a “brick pitted with nails.” “He attacked the back of my head, with eight nails. He came in with both legs,” said Vernooijen. It remains unclear why the bird attacks people. As the Eagle owl is a protected species, authorities need permission to catch the owl so in the meantime people have been advised to use umbrellas when outdoors.