Swift, silent, and with razor-sharp claws
March 19, 2015 7:49 AM Subscribe
Rogue owl caught after year-long reign of terror in Dutch town
Eagle owls previously: Eagle!, Owl pets dog, Everyone is fond of owls
Dubbed the “terror owl” by residents of Purmerend, north of Amsterdam, the aggressive European eagle owl is suspected of more than 50 attacks on humans, swooping silently from above and leaving many of its victims bloody and bruised. “The animal was trapped by a falconer today,” the Purmerend city council said on Friday evening. “It’s in good health and is currently being kept in a temporary facility awaiting a transfer once a proper permanent home has been found,” it added.
Eagle owls previously: Eagle!, Owl pets dog, Everyone is fond of owls
About three years ago I had a rash of close encounters with owls. I can't imagine why; I assume someone at Hogwarts was trying to contact me. I only got pictures of two of the encounters, but there were a couple of others. Even the little owls with whom I interacted had a certain intensity to them. I am very glad none of them behaved as this Dutch owl did. It can't be fun when an apex predator decides to mess with you.
A barred owl who followed me and my dog while we were hiking. I assume it was hoping my dog would flush some small game.
An eastern screech owl who hung around my back yard for a couple of nights. He didn't much like my big flashlight in his eyes, but he didn't leave, either.
posted by workerant at 8:08 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
A barred owl who followed me and my dog while we were hiking. I assume it was hoping my dog would flush some small game.
An eastern screech owl who hung around my back yard for a couple of nights. He didn't much like my big flashlight in his eyes, but he didn't leave, either.
posted by workerant at 8:08 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
Sickening
posted by The Owls at 8:11 AM on March 19, 2015 [55 favorites]
posted by The Owls at 8:11 AM on March 19, 2015 [55 favorites]
I'm glad the owl wasn't injured or killed.
posted by rtha at 8:12 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by rtha at 8:12 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
A permanent home for the terror murder owl? Did they check with a supervillain?
posted by blnkfrnk at 8:22 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by blnkfrnk at 8:22 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
Not to minimize the damage ravens, crows and seagulls can do (and did, to Hitchcock's actors), but a potentially more horrifying movie than The Birds might be The Owls.
posted by kozad at 8:23 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by kozad at 8:23 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Daring owl of mystery
Champion of fright
Swoops out of the shadows
This owl owns the night
Somewhere some dutchman schemes
But his number's up
(3-2-1)
Terror Owl! (When those talons blur you call for a falconer!)
Terror Owl! (Laten we gevaarlijk!)
Terror Owl! (Darkwing, Darkwing Duck!)
Flutter of wings and he appears
Master of surprise
Who's that cunning mind behind
That shadowy disguise
Nobody knows for sure
But bad guys are out of luck
'Cause here comes (Terror Owl)
Look out! (When those talons blur you call for a falconer!)
Terror Owl (Laten we gevaarlijk!)
Terror Owl (Better watch out, you dutchmen)
Terror Owl!
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 8:25 AM on March 19, 2015 [12 favorites]
Champion of fright
Swoops out of the shadows
This owl owns the night
Somewhere some dutchman schemes
But his number's up
(3-2-1)
Terror Owl! (When those talons blur you call for a falconer!)
Terror Owl! (Laten we gevaarlijk!)
Terror Owl! (Darkwing, Darkwing Duck!)
Flutter of wings and he appears
Master of surprise
Who's that cunning mind behind
That shadowy disguise
Nobody knows for sure
But bad guys are out of luck
'Cause here comes (Terror Owl)
Look out! (When those talons blur you call for a falconer!)
Terror Owl (Laten we gevaarlijk!)
Terror Owl (Better watch out, you dutchmen)
Terror Owl!
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 8:25 AM on March 19, 2015 [12 favorites]
No, they found it a nice place near the Fitzgibbons' farm.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:25 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:25 AM on March 19, 2015
For those familiar with the murder trial (and conviction, and release) of Michael Peterson (documented in the film The Staircase), an emergent theory is that Peterson's wife did not die by his hand or by falling down the stairs, but rather from injuries suffered during and after an owl attack.
Owls are murder birds.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 8:28 AM on March 19, 2015 [8 favorites]
Owls are murder birds.
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 8:28 AM on March 19, 2015 [8 favorites]
Before I click the link, can someone reassure we that this is an "owl's well that ends well" kind of story?
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:32 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:32 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
And to think that they laughed when that man majored in falconry at university.
posted by dr_dank at 8:34 AM on March 19, 2015 [14 favorites]
posted by dr_dank at 8:34 AM on March 19, 2015 [14 favorites]
Are we sure it was really owls?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:36 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:36 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Owls are murder birds.
Well, they are the cats of the sky.
posted by bgal81 at 8:40 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
Well, they are the cats of the sky.
posted by bgal81 at 8:40 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
“But on the other hand, the situation could not continue. We had to do something.”
You could have moved the town or retreated to a subterranean existence. I call lack of imagination on this mayor.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:41 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
You could have moved the town or retreated to a subterranean existence. I call lack of imagination on this mayor.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:41 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
Yeah, or build a huge transparent dome over the city. You'll look like a genius when the seas inundate the Netherlands at last and your whole town is safe in its big underwater dome while everyone else is treading water.
posted by Naberius at 8:45 AM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Naberius at 8:45 AM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
Yeah, after the Tootsie Pop Factory was hollowed out, there really wasn't much reason for that town to stick around.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:45 AM on March 19, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:45 AM on March 19, 2015 [8 favorites]
Owl be hating you forever.
posted by trunk muffins at 8:48 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by trunk muffins at 8:48 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
GenjiandProust, It seems that the bird will be alright. Article doesn't say where it is headed, but he is alive and “It’s in good health and is currently being kept in a temporary facility awaiting a transfer once a proper permanent home has been found,”.
The article laments that they had to disturb the poor thing at all by catching him, so I doubt anything horrible will happen to it. Most likely it will be relocated to a less human populated area.
posted by Twain Device at 8:49 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
The article laments that they had to disturb the poor thing at all by catching him, so I doubt anything horrible will happen to it. Most likely it will be relocated to a less human populated area.
posted by Twain Device at 8:49 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
What a hoot!
posted by Renoroc at 8:51 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Renoroc at 8:51 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
The animal was trapped by a falconer today.
I would like some more details, please. Did the falconer use falcons to affect the capture? Did they waggle a dead mouse and whistle the owl down onto their glove?
Also, was the falconer brought back from retirement for one last job?
posted by Iridic at 8:52 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
I would like some more details, please. Did the falconer use falcons to affect the capture? Did they waggle a dead mouse and whistle the owl down onto their glove?
Also, was the falconer brought back from retirement for one last job?
posted by Iridic at 8:52 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
The article laments that they had to disturb the poor thing at all by catching him, so I doubt anything horrible will happen to it. Most likely it will be relocated to a less human populated area.
Unless they clips its wings that won't work out for them.
posted by srboisvert at 8:53 AM on March 19, 2015
Unless they clips its wings that won't work out for them.
posted by srboisvert at 8:53 AM on March 19, 2015
I live in the woods about a half mile off the road and have an electric golf car I use to get the mail, take trash to the street, that sort of thing. One night last fall I was driving along and a large owl swooped just in front of me. A little above head level and just enough in front to be seen in the headlights. Completely silent and unexpected but quite impressive. It was most likely one of the aforementioned barred owls; at least those are what I hear most commonly. I can definitely see how having one of those attack without warning could be frightening.
posted by TedW at 8:54 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by TedW at 8:54 AM on March 19, 2015
a less human populated area
If they'd just let the owl do its damned job, this would have sorted itself out in due time.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:57 AM on March 19, 2015 [29 favorites]
If they'd just let the owl do its damned job, this would have sorted itself out in due time.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 8:57 AM on March 19, 2015 [29 favorites]
I'm glad that this woman wasn't there, or things might have turned out differently for the owl.
posted by cubby at 9:14 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by cubby at 9:14 AM on March 19, 2015
Actually the local biologists (and the falconer who caught the "terror owl") think it wasn't attacking people. Rather it was a trained owl that had escaped/been abandoned and was swooping down on people expecting them to extend their arms to feed it/take it home. Which is pretty sad.
But, this sub-species of owls have the best name in Dutch: Oehoe which is pronounced almost the same way people make an owl's Hoo Hoo sound in English.
posted by digitalprimate at 9:19 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
But, this sub-species of owls have the best name in Dutch: Oehoe which is pronounced almost the same way people make an owl's Hoo Hoo sound in English.
posted by digitalprimate at 9:19 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
Also if I were stuck in Purmerend I'd probably start attacking people too.
posted by digitalprimate at 9:21 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by digitalprimate at 9:21 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
digitalprimate: "Rather it was a trained owl that had escaped/been abandoned and was swooping down on people expecting them to extend their arms to feed it/take it home. Which is pretty sad."
And I guess the stitches from the head wounds were just the owl's way of being cuddly.
I know who is getting ready to welcome our flying silent death overlords.
posted by TheLittlePrince at 9:24 AM on March 19, 2015
And I guess the stitches from the head wounds were just the owl's way of being cuddly.
I know who is getting ready to welcome our flying silent death overlords.
posted by TheLittlePrince at 9:24 AM on March 19, 2015
Owl be back.
posted by fairmettle at 9:29 AM on March 19, 2015 [14 favorites]
posted by fairmettle at 9:29 AM on March 19, 2015 [14 favorites]
I know who is getting ready to welcome our flying silent death overlords.
You can't prove that; know one saw anything ...adds TheLittlePrince to the list....
posted by digitalprimate at 9:31 AM on March 19, 2015
You can't prove that; know one saw anything ...adds TheLittlePrince to the list....
posted by digitalprimate at 9:31 AM on March 19, 2015
This owl is not what it seems.
posted by Myca at 9:36 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Myca at 9:36 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
My falconer friend refers to owls as "murderous psychopaths of the sky"
posted by Doleful Creature at 9:45 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Doleful Creature at 9:45 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
GenjiandProust, It seems that the bird will be alright. Article doesn't say where it is headed, but he is alive and “It’s in good health and is currently being kept in a temporary facility awaiting a transfer once a proper permanent home has been found,”.
I am imagining a high-tech holding cell not unlike the one in Avengers for Loki or the one in Star Trek for Benedict Khanerbatch.
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:51 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
I am imagining a high-tech holding cell not unlike the one in Avengers for Loki or the one in Star Trek for Benedict Khanerbatch.
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:51 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
What a superb owl. This must be the "#superbowl" everyone was tweeting about last month.
posted by w0mbat at 10:14 AM on March 19, 2015 [30 favorites]
posted by w0mbat at 10:14 AM on March 19, 2015 [30 favorites]
I wonder how humans would fare if all the earth's owls decided en masse to declare war upon us...
posted by mrjohnmuller at 10:42 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by mrjohnmuller at 10:42 AM on March 19, 2015
And for those of you with oclophobia here's a video from another part of the country of the Knuffle Oehoe ("snuggling owl") who apparently likes nothing better than to land on people's heads and, well snuggle.
No, commrade, this is not propaganda owl. This is workers' owl! For the people!
posted by digitalprimate at 10:58 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
No, commrade, this is not propaganda owl. This is workers' owl! For the people!
posted by digitalprimate at 10:58 AM on March 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
The People call it Toruk. Last Shadow. Last one you ever see.
posted by maxsparber at 11:10 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by maxsparber at 11:10 AM on March 19, 2015
It's owl right. Now those suburbanites will be safe, owl night long, once again. And so our fairy tale ends, for now. Stay tuned for the next chapter, Mr. owl Visits the Farm.
posted by Oyéah at 11:16 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by Oyéah at 11:16 AM on March 19, 2015
If this is viral advertising for the new Twin Peaks series, I approve.
posted by maxsparber at 11:19 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by maxsparber at 11:19 AM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
I wonder how humans would fare if all the earth's owls decided en masse to declare war upon us...
They will call it the Owl Out Attack
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:20 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
They will call it the Owl Out Attack
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:20 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]
dutch terror owl sounds like insanely good weed
posted by p3on at 11:30 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by p3on at 11:30 AM on March 19, 2015 [11 favorites]
OH DONALD!
posted by jeffehobbs at 11:36 AM on March 19, 2015
posted by jeffehobbs at 11:36 AM on March 19, 2015
Owl see you in hell.
posted by trunk muffins at 11:37 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by trunk muffins at 11:37 AM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
Hoot's the man now, Dutch!
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:39 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:39 AM on March 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Temple University should amend their nickname to the Terror Owls.
posted by whuppy at 1:17 PM on March 19, 2015
posted by whuppy at 1:17 PM on March 19, 2015
"Humans are a cowardly and superstitious lot."
Baahm baahm baahm BAAAAHM bahm, babaaahm...
posted by happyroach at 1:42 PM on March 19, 2015
Baahm baahm baahm BAAAAHM bahm, babaaahm...
posted by happyroach at 1:42 PM on March 19, 2015
One of my students was attacked by an owl (probably a great grey) - it struck him from behind, knocking him down, and leaving deep gashes and punctures in his scalp which needed stitches, a variety of shots and one of which became infected, making for a partially-shaved funky hairdo. And no, his hair was not mousey-brown.
Though, once you've seen one cut in half, they (owls, not students) are a lot less awe-inspiring.
posted by Rumple at 1:49 PM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
Though, once you've seen one cut in half, they (owls, not students) are a lot less awe-inspiring.
posted by Rumple at 1:49 PM on March 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
For those familiar with the murder trial (and conviction, and release) of Michael Peterson (documented in the film The Staircase), an emergent theory is that Peterson's wife did not die by his hand or by falling down the stairs, but rather from injuries suffered during and after an owl attack.
To this day he's still hunting for that one-winged owl.
posted by yoink at 2:11 PM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
To this day he's still hunting for that one-winged owl.
posted by yoink at 2:11 PM on March 19, 2015 [3 favorites]
Maybe he's a member of Owl-Qaeda.
(I had to wait all day for that one, you're welcome)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:33 PM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
(I had to wait all day for that one, you're welcome)
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:33 PM on March 19, 2015 [5 favorites]
We were just reading about this last week in my Dutch class. I love the article we used, it has some delightful alliteration. My favorite line is "De vogel is volgens de gemeente Purmerend in goede gezondheid."
posted by antinomia at 9:08 PM on March 19, 2015
posted by antinomia at 9:08 PM on March 19, 2015
I have had a big owl (great horned, maybe?) fly just overhead in the dusk. I knew intellectually that they were silent but it was quite another thing to have it appear above me from nowhere.
I'm glad this owl is getting relocated but I do have to wonder how far you would have to transport an owl before it wouldn't be able to return home.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:17 PM on March 19, 2015
I'm glad this owl is getting relocated but I do have to wonder how far you would have to transport an owl before it wouldn't be able to return home.
posted by Dip Flash at 10:17 PM on March 19, 2015
I'm so sorry - I saw the 'womensmarch' tag and thought there'd been some sort of 'Mothers Against Owls' march or something.
Owl get my coat.
posted by quinndexter at 11:45 PM on March 19, 2015
Owl get my coat.
posted by quinndexter at 11:45 PM on March 19, 2015
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posted by Naberius at 8:07 AM on March 19, 2015 [7 favorites]