Students advised to be vigilant near Jamie Cassels Centre following owl attacks.
Photo by Sabina Mendoza-Brown.
A handful of owl attacks occurred on campus last month, prompting UVic to put up a sign outside of the Jamie Cassels Centre, warning students and staff about an aggressive owl.
On the UVic subreddit, — a sub community on the social media platform Reddit — some users have reported being attacked by the owl. “I just walked by Clearihue … and suddenly felt a blunt force hit/scratch the back of my head.… I turned around after getting my footing to see an owl on a branch just above me staring at me,” one user said.
“This happened to me yesterday. The owl’s wing grazed my face. Right outside Clearihue,” another user said.
A UVic spokesperson told the Martlet that “Campus Security received two reports of an aggressive owl on campus in February.” At the time of publication, it is not known how many individuals have been attacked by the owl(s) on campus, as some may have gone unreported.
On Feb. 26, UVic called BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC) to come to campus and remove an owl due to a window strike that occurred by the McPherson Library, a Wild ARC team member told the Martlet.
The Wild ARC team member confirmed that the owl is currently still in the care of the rehabilitation center. However, they said that the owl taken in by Wild ARC is likely not the owl responsible for the attacks on campus.
“The barred owl that there are reports of being aggressive on campus seems to be a different individual. This time of year is mating [and] nesting season for barred owls. It is likely protecting a nest, which could appear like aggressive behaviour towards people passing underneath or nearby,” they said.
Mike Motek, coordinator for the Rocky Point Bird Observatory’s Nocturnal Owl Monitoring project, also suspects it is a barred owl behind the attacks. Barred owl nesting season runs from March through June, Motek said in an emailed statement, and if a great horned owl — another species sometimes seen on UVic’s campus — were to attack, more serious injuries, and possibly a visit to the emergency ward, would be expected.
Motek told the Martlet that community members should avoid areas with posted warnings.
“We ask our community to stay aware, respect these animals, and help keep them healthy by never feeding them,” said UVic spokesperson.
A video provided to the Martlet showed three owls on campus by the Fraser Building, but it is unclear if any of them are responsible for the attacks, as the warning sign was posted near Clearihue and the Jamie Cassels Centre.
