Last fall an owl terrorized Tacoma’s North End, will spring bring more attacks

Owl attacks pop up across Western Washington now and again. Owls are territorial birds; according to Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, they are most territorial in Fall and Spring.

In Spring, this is mainly because owls are busy mating or tending to newly hatched eggs.

In October, November, and December of last year, neighbors in a North End Tacoma neighborhood say one owl attacked three different people in three different instances, two of which involved runners.

A Tacoma woman says she and her husband witnessed one of the attacks.

“A lady was jogging, and my husband was leaving to go take my son to basketball, and she stopped running and looked up and was kinda scared, and they’re like something just took my hat, and it took her beanie off her head,” said Brenda Paige.

In another incident, an early morning runner was also attacked by this same owl in the same way. He ran to a nearby house, where security cameras caught the man moments after his attack.

According to Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, “This behavior isn’t uncommon in WA. It’s not uncommon in owls in general, and that means the owl is territorial.”

Owls are federally protected birds, so Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife shares different ways you can prevent and protect yourself from an owl encounter and tips for coexisting peacefully with these creatures. For more information, click here .