Two members of the local athletics club were the latest to fall prey to the bird on Tuesday, February 25, Dutch media reported.
One of the bird's victims, Maarten Burggraaf, described to local media the pain he suffered.
"Suddenly I got a big knock on the back of my head and it was the owl, the famous eagle owl. It was not a funny experience, you can say," he said.
Burggraaf received a tetanus injection following the incident.
Purmerend town councillor Mario Hegger told reporters authorities were hoping to be permitted to catch the bird, which is a protected species.
"Now that we face the danger, you'd rather not imagine someone turning their head and that they really get its claws in their face. Then you have severe wounds and we don't want that, so I am willing to look into accelerating the procedure (to catch the bird) in collaboration with the province authorities," he told reporters.
Hegger said he thought the bird was raised in captivity, as it is unusual for owls to attack people given they are usually afraid of them.
Residents have been advised by the town council to arm themselves with umbrellas at night to protect themselves from potential attacks.
John Rigot, a local resident at the Prinsenstichting home for the disabled, said he felt much safer with his umbrella.
"I can fight it off and scare it away, so that he goes elsewhere," he told a reporter.
The council said it was planning for a falconer to try to catch the owl so that it can be given quality care if and when it is caught.
Share
