Eagle that attacked toddler in Norway linked to other incidents: Authorities
Stay tuned with 24 News HD Android App
An eagle shot dead in Norway after wounding a young girl had previously attacked several other people, Norwegian authorities announced on Friday, describing the behaviour as "abnormal."
On September 7, the golden eagle swooped down on a 20-month-old girl who was playing on the family farm in central Norway.
The girl's mother and a neighbour struggled to fend off the bird of prey before it was killed by a gamekeeper.
"The eagle came out of nowhere and grabbed our youngest daughter," the father, whose name was not disclosed, told broadcaster NRK.
Following the attack -- which left the girl with stitches and scratches -- Norwegian media reported on several recent similar incidents in different parts of Norway.
Ornithologist Alv Ottar Folkestad of the Norwegian Ornithological Society described the behaviour as "completely unfamiliar".
"You won't find anything about this in the literature," he told NRK.
After examining photos, the Norwegian Environment Agency concluded on Friday that three episodes, including the one involving the little girl, were definitely caused by the same eagle and that another two were "probably" caused by the same animal.
None of the victims of these attacks, which all occurred between 3 and 7 September, were seriously injured.
"The confrontations between a golden eagle and humans that we have seen in several places in Norway over the past few weeks are completely unique," Susanne Hanssen, a senior adviser at the agency, said in a statement.
"We are not aware of any similar incidents either in Norway or internationally. The now killed eagle had very abnormal behaviour and lacked shyness towards humans," Hanssen added.
Several researchers have theorised that the eagle may have been fed by humans.
Without making any definitive conclusions, Hanssen noted that "this behaviour resembles that seen in birds that have grown up in captivity."
"At this point, we have no other theories that explain the eagle's abnormal behaviour," she said.
In Norway, the capture or breeding of wild animals for domestic use is prohibited.