Atlanta

Man says he was attacked by owl in Midtown

ATLANTA — A man in Midtown says he is the latest victim of an owl attack in metro Atlanta.

Eric Thornton said he walked out of his townhouse on 15th Street and an owl swooped down and attacked him.

"Something smacked me in the back of the head," he said. "I did not see anything. Fortunately, there happened to be a bicyclist who was biking the other way who saw what had happened and told me, 'Dude, you just got attacked by that owl.'"

He was left with a big cut on the top of his head.

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Thornton said the owl returned to rest on a power line and he snapped a picture.

In December, a family in Henry County said an owl attacked and killed their dog.

Last week, a woman said a large owl attacked her and her two dogs in Cobb County.

A spokesperson with the Atlanta Audubon Society said the attacks are rare, but he said to stay vigilant because young owls are hungry after the recent cold snap.

Thornton said he'll be on the lookout for owls from now on.

"I'm definitely paying attention when I come out of that gate, I can tell you that," he said.