‘I walk around with a helmet on.’ Bald eagles continue to attack Alaskans

Several people required medical attention and stitches after a pair of bald eagles attacked them on the docks of St. Herman Bay on Kodiak Island, Alaska, during the second week of July. It is still unclear what caused the attacks, authorities say Outdoor livingbut people are now forced to protect their heads and walk carefully through the area.

“We’ve had a number of attacks in a few days, but now everyone in that area is aware,” said Harbor Master and Port Director David Johnson. Outdoor living. “They’re more observant. The suspected eagles usually attack from a few specific locations, so people are watching for them in those spots. I walk around with a helmet on, other people hold sweatshirts over their heads, and we maintain eye contact. They don’t seem to want to move when you’re watching them.”

Janssen Posted about the incidents on Facebook on July 11 to warn people about the strange behavior. The most widely accepted theory seems to be that the eagles are defending a chick in a nest somewhere, although that doesn’t normally elicit aggressive behavior from adults, said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raptor biologist Steve Lewis Alaska Public MediaThe City of Kodiak Port Authority contacted USFWS for expert insight into the matter.

“I’ve dealt with eagles in a lot of places and normally they’re just not that defensive,” Lewis said. “I’ve climbed nest trees … the [eagles] Don’t dive bomb when you’re climbing, [or] when you get to the nest. They are definitely agitated. You see them flying around and they are calling, but they are not diving at you or doing anything aggressive.”

Johnson also doesn’t believe the aggressive behavior was the result of someone feeding the eagles. However, he notes that it’s an ongoing battle to prevent dock users from feeding other wildlife.

“There are a lot of sea lions in the harbor and feeding them is a big hassle, so my staff works hard to make sure everyone knows it’s illegal to feed wildlife in the harbor,” Johnson said. “We don’t catch everything, but we try. The eagles are a bit of a humorous challenge, while the sea lions are a real problem. [when fed].”

Two adult eagles are to blame for the incidents, Johnson said, although about a dozen frequent the area where the attacks occurred. Of the “multiple” people attacked, two were members of Johnson’s staff.

read more: Wisconsin Turkey Hunter Finds Dead Bald Eagle, Deer Head Still Clamped in Talons

“One needed three stitches and one needed none, but both had to go to the hospital. The one who needed stitches is in good spirits,” he said.

St. Herman Bay, known locally as Dog Bay, is located on the east coast of Kodiak Island. As one of the island’s two largest ports, it accepts large shipments from the Kenai Peninsula. There are also several fish processing plants on the island, and Lewis believes the attacks may have something to do with the large amounts of dead fish and scraps littering the docks. Perhaps the birds felt the need to defend what they saw as their rightful food source. But since the aggressive behavior is beginning to wane, the root cause may remain a mystery.

“I don’t know what makes these particular freedom chickens so angry,” Johnson said Fox News Digital“But hopefully they will get over it soon.”