UPDATED: At least five Norwegians were attacked by eagles in the space of just five days last week. An eagle expert thought the attacks could all be blamed on one young eagle that simply “lost its mind,” and his theory has won support.
The highly unusual attacks began last Tuesday, when a hiker was making his way down a scenic mountain at Tyin in Sogn. Then came two attacks against a couple out hiking not far away on another mountain plateau, Glittertind, on Thursday. On Friday another hiker was attacked in Trøndelag, more than 200 kilometers to the northeast, and then an eagle attacked a little girl out playing with her family in their garden in Orkdal.
Ornithologist Alv Ottar Folkestad told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that he thinks all the attacks were carried out by the same eagle, which had left its nest less than two months ago. The attacks, which left their victims bloodied and bruised, were so unusual that he suspects only one “mentally ill” eagle was behind them, and it was eventually shot by wildlife authorities in the garden where the child was attacked.
He had first thought at least two eagles were involved, given the distance between the first two attacks and the two that came later. “But this is such completely uknown behaviour.” Folkestad told NRK, after also studying photos of the eagle or eagles involved. “We can’t even find any literature on this.”
He’s urging wildlife authorities to investigate further after the attacks, which came from behind and were unprovoked. The victims have been treated and given rabies shots as a precautionary measure. State wildlife authorities later agreed that the attacks were “unique” and could be tied to the same bird, based on photographs and the nature of the attacks.
PS: A photographer who formerly worked for NRK also had a close encounter with what’s believed to be the same eagle while at his cabin in Dovre last weekend. See his unique photos and video of the encounter here (external link, in Norwegian).
NewsinEnglish.no staff
