DutchNews, November 8,
2015
An eagle owl. Photo: Brocken Inaglory via Wikimedia |
The eagle owl which terrorised the Dutch town of
Purmerend earlier this year is to remain in captivity for the rest of its life,
local paper Noordhollands Dagblad said at the weekend.
The risk that the bird
will continue to attack people if it is released is too great, the local
authority is quoted as saying in a briefing for councilors.
The owl was caught
in mid March after officials issued a special permit for its capture. They have
now asked for government permission to keep the bird in captivity, the paper
said.
The owl attacked dozens of people in the town, north of Amsterdam, and
generated newspaper headlines around the world. Several people had to get
hospital treatment for wounds to their heads during its five-week reign of
terror, and the council recommended people carry umbrellas as protection.
Experts at the bird sanctuary where the eagle owl has been placed say it is a
young male in good health and with strong eyesight. They have also concluded
the bird was born in captivity and is used to people.
No ring
The bird is not
ringed or chipped and no clue has been found as to where the bird has come
from. Eagle owls can have a wingspan of almost two metres when fully grown and
it may have been released into the wild by its owner, the council briefing
said.
Even if it is released a long way from civilization, the bird is likely
to return to places where people live, the council quotes the experts as
saying. The sanctuary would like to keep the owl but does not have a zoo
licence. It has now applied for one, the paper said.
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