I was attacked by a huge owl which cut open my scalp – people are terrified to leave their homes
AN owl is terrorising a town by attacking pensioners, children and pets.
The Canadian great-horned owl has been divebombing locals, leaving some too afraid to leave their homes.
And it is believed to be getting more vicious as it protects its territory looking for a mate.
Liz Hodgkins, 74, is among those who have been attacked by the bonkers bird.
She says it swooped on her in her driveway in Sedgley, West Midlands, leaving her with deep cuts to her scalp.
The grandmother of five said: “The owl was in the tree and I waved to it and said hello.
“As I was walking back I felt this big hit on the back of my head.
“My neighbour said he’d been attacked while taking the dog out.
“It looks a nasty thing really.”
Mum-of-two Rachel Teague, 36, said: “It’s become a bit of a psycho and people are actually pretty terrified of it.
“It’s crazy there’s a Canadian owl causing havoc in the Black Country.
“We only usually get to see birds like this at Dudley Zoo.
“We don’t want to villainise the poor thing, it is just displaying its natural behaviour.
“But it needs to be caught and nobody is doing anything about it.”
There have also been reports of a 13-year-old boy being hurt as well as small dogs being targeted.
Great-horned owls can reach 2ft with a 5ft wingspan.
They eat small and medium-sized mammals such as rabbits, ducks, mice and voles.
But it is not a native species so the one in Sedgley probably escaped captivity.
Barbara Royle, the owner of the International Bird Registry, believes the owl is becoming territorial because it is breeding season.