New Bedford – A hairdresser was attacked, and remains in critical condition at St. Luke’s Hospital, after she was harrased by a flock of owls.
Police said a neighbor heard a lot of screeching coming from the backyard, and looked out the window to see the owls pecking at the stylist’s fingers and lips. “I think they were trying to take her cigarettes.” the neighbor reported. “She wouldn’t give them up and the owls continued their attack.”
Paramedics at the scene noted several fingers were missing from the victims right hand, as well as bloody pieces of flesh and a shredded cigarette nearby. The victim continued to screech as she was loaded into the ambulance. “We might be able to reattach the fingers” an EMT speculated.
The hospital declined to give any information, but several owls were seen on the ledge outside one of the Green Ward windows.
A local owl exterminator told us that owls are generally harmless, but will attack if provoked by cigarette smoke, or bad singing. “Combine that with skimpy clothing, and you’ve got a mad owl.” he said.
A person close to the victim, who did not want to be identified, did say the stylist was often scantily clad in the backyard, not that he was complaining.
City officials are now considering a new law, to ban smoking in backyards while singing. “We wanted to ban owls,” said the mayor, “but they are so cute!”
No other owl attacks have been reported around the city.