Brent Matsuda said he’d seen signs at Squint Lake Park warning of an aggressive owl in the area, but he “didn’t think it would be a big concern” until his toddler was attacked Saturday afternoon.

We’ve all by now probably seen the leopard party meme. If not:

Barred Owls are one of the more territorial owls, and news of their aggression towards humans are not uncommon around breeding season (December to March) as owls protect their home territory.

In the full article the dad, who is said to be a biologist, ignored the signs warning of the Barred Owls, and let his toddler run loose. The child was cut by the owl’s talons, almost cutting his eye, and now the father is calling for the park to have the owl put down.

I know dramatic action is sometimes taken when a dog attacks someone, but dogs are domestic animals. I’m not sure punishing a wild animal for doing what is its nature is correct.

I try to avoid non-positive things here, but in looking up owl articles and such to share, there are many articles about barred owls and pedestrians getting into altercations. I’m curious as to what your opinions are in this. We’re probably all pro-owl here, but do you feel there’s a point where an owl can be problematic enough that some sort of action should be taken, and what should that action be?