When Giant Owls Attack: Dog Owners Blame Birds For Death

There would be nothing so horrifying as looking in your backyard only to see giant owls swooping up your pet and carrying him off. This scary scene seems to be playing out in reality in Albuquerque, New Mexico. But, are these pet owners blaming owls for something they had nothing to do with?

In the cases of the dead and injured pets, one woman heard a "yelp" from her puppy before he disappeared from the backyard. He was sadly found dead two days later by neighbors. Another dog owner found claw marks on the back of her poodle. She believes the huge owls tried to grab her dog for a wire-haired meal.

According to a zookeeper at Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, the largest owl species in the United States is the Great Grey Owl, which can have a wingspan of up to 5 feet. That is indeed a large bird and one no one wants to be attacked by. These giant owls usually keep the rodent population down ( good thing!), but they have also been known to eat any small animal they can carry away. The really creepy thing is that the owls are silent and stealth-like when they approach their prey. Their next meal doesn't even know what happened until they are in the owl's clutches and being carried off to be eaten.

Has anyone actually seen the giant owls in the murderous and attempted murderous acts? It seems that no one that has lost a pet or had one attacked has seen the culprit or culprits in action. While walking, a couple did happen to witness a huge owl flying. Are they reaching for anything to blame their disappearing pets on?

It is truly a sad thing to lose a pet, but are these dog owners reaching for straws (or owls) to try to come up with a reason why their pets are being attacked and killed? Are the giant owls getting a bad rap? Or are there truly some rogue giant owls on the hunt for small dogs in New Mexico?

Photo Source: DailyMail

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