posted on June 10, 2005 09:51:21 AM new
By Luke David And Katharine Barney, Evening Standard
10 June 2005
Joggers are today being warned about violent crows in London parks after an attack left a man bloodied and needing hospital treatment.
Justin Keay was swooped on by two crows in what experts have called a severe case of "mobbing" - where two or more birds gang up on an assumed predator to keep them away from their young.
Now other runners are being told to stay well away from fledgling crows to avoid further attacks.
Mr Keay today told how he was running his usual route through Battersea Park when the birds swooped on him. The crows clawed his head with their talons and pecked at him furiously.
With blood gushing from his head, he had to fight for several minutes before they would stop attack - reminiscent of the Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds.
Mr Keay, 44, who was attacked at lunchtime on Wednesday, said: "These two massive crows just swooped down on me. I hit them but they wouldn't get off my head.
"They kept on at me and I kept hitting them until I noticed blood was pouring down my neck. My T-shirt was drenched with blood."
Mr Keay was so shaken by his ordeal he went to the park police, who gave him antiseptic wipes and sent him to Chelsea and Westminster hospital for an anti-tetanus injection. "They said it was the first occasion they'd heard of anyone being injured," he said.
The father of two, from Battersea Church Row, said he jogs past the same crows every day.
"They're big and look really menacing," he said. "They have swooped at me before but this was totally different. I had to hit them off me."
Although it is extremely unusual for crows to attack humans, joggers are now being warned to be extra vigilant.
Stephanie Fudge, of the Wetland Centre in Barnes, said Mr Keay was probably close to the bird's fledglings, which may have fallen out of a nearby nest.
"It is quite common at this time of year for fledglings to try to fly," she said. "There was probably one about somewhere nearby which he was not aware of.
"Runners should be extra careful at this time of year. Crows can be aggressive - as these two have shown. If a jogger sees a baby crow they should stay well away."
Joanna Leonard, an interior designer, saw the birds - which she thought were ravens - in the same place an hour after their attack on Mr Keay.
"I thought they were very nasty, sinister things."she said. "Two of them focused in on me as I walked past. I couldn't help thinking of that Hitchcock film."
Mr Keay, a father of two young children, added: "What really worries me is that it could happen again - and it could be a lot worse if the crows attacked children. They could literally have their eyes out."
A spokeswoman for Wandsworth council, which is responsible for the park, said: "We will be talking to bird experts to see if it is a more widespread problem. If it turns out there's any need to alert the public we will do so."
posted on June 10, 2005 10:21:28 AM new
A gigantic grizzly bear has died after being run over on the highway north of West Yellowstone Thursday night (June 9, 2005). The 675-pound male was hit by a pickup truck on U.S. Highway 191s.
That's a big bear in the Yellowstone National Park area, especially at this time of year, just a few weeks after grizzlies have left their winter dens. I was surprised at how fat he was for this time of year."
The strangest thing was when the Park Rangers discovered the bear's body, it appeared to have several crows surrounding the carcass, drinking margaritas and celebrating the demise of one big fat dumb ass bear!
posted on June 10, 2005 10:34:55 AM new
For a minute I thought this was another thread about Crowfarm.
**********************************
Two men sit behind bars,one sees mud the other sees stars.
posted on June 10, 2005 10:36:15 AM new
LOL-welcome back magster
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baseball season has started,but they have it all wrong.3 strikes and you're out,4 balls you walk.I can tell you right now a man with 4 balls could not possibly walk
posted on June 10, 2005 10:40:38 AM new
"Joggers are today being warned about violent crows in London parks after an attack left a man bloodied and needing hospital treatment."
I was wondering where crow was for the last couple of days.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baseball season has started,but they have it all wrong.3 strikes and you're out,4 balls you walk.I can tell you right now a man with 4 balls could not possibly walk
posted on June 10, 2005 10:49:30 AM new
maggie, we are holding funeral services for my little cousin this weekend.
I told him after the last time he chased and caught one of those cars, it wasn't worth the trouble. When he pried open the doors all he found were drunk crows.
A word to the wise ain't necessary, it's the stupid ones that need the advice."
- Bill Cosby
posted on June 10, 2005 10:55:24 AM new
Welcome back Maggie!
I've got crows living in my cedars. They're the neatest birds going! I feed them so they don't bother me, but if someone new, or an animal comes on to our property, they'll let you know. We get a lot of hawks around here but they don't stand a chance when these birds have babies. Such fun birds to watch.
posted on June 10, 2005 11:19:15 AM new
Hi everybody, it's good to be back! Now lets try and keep me here this time! LOL..as DBL said in another post.. I've been kicked around a lot lately..
I wrote a little poem in the poem thread last night but those who were on last night ignored my homecoming..
I've been reading your posts and had a chuckle when I read just how many names you all think I post under! I've never heard of the one Linda said she thought I might be, then came SuzyQ...and the latest Shawnb1..although the latest one Shawn even had me fooled for a minute! LOL His first post sounded very similar to the first post I made here on the RT.
Glad to see everyone is still getting along together so well... I especially loved the Group Hug thread!.. I'm off on vacation, but thought I'd come by and say hi..!
