Multiple people required medical attention and sutures after a pair of bald eagles attacked them on the docks of St. Herman Bay on Kodiak Island, Alaska, during the second week of July. It still remains unclear what provoked the attacks, authorities tell Outdoor Life, but people are now forced to protect their heads and walk through the area with caution.
“We had a number of attacks in a few days, but now everyone in that area is aware,” harbormaster and port director David Johnson tells Outdoor Life. “They’re paying more attention. The suspect eagles tend to attack from a couple specific locations, so people are watching for them in those spots. I’m walking around with a hard hat on, other folks are holding sweatshirts above their heads, and we’re maintaining eye contact. They don’t seem to want to make their move if you’re watching.”
Johnson posted about the incidents on Facebook on July 11 to warn people of the strange behavior. The most widely accepted theory seems to be that the eagles are defending a chick in a nest somewhere, although that doesn’t usually trigger aggressive behavior from adults, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service raptor biologist Steve Lewis told Alaska Public Media. The City of Kodiak Ports and Harbors Department contacted USFWS for expert insight on the issue.
“I’ve dealt with eagles in lots of places and normally they just aren’t that defensive,” Lewis said. “I’ve climbed nest trees … the [eagles] don’t dive-bomb you as you’re climbing, [or] when you get to the nest. They are definitely aggravated. You can see them flying around and they are calling, but they aren’t diving at you or anything aggressive.”
Johnson doesn’t believe the aggressive behavior stemmed from anyone feeding the eagles, either, although he does note that keeping dock users from feeding other wildlife is a constant battle.
“We have a lot of sea lions in the harbor, and feeding them creates a huge hassle, so my staff works hard to make sure everyone knows its illegal to feed wildlife in the harbor,” Johnson says. “We don’t catch it all, but we do try. The eagles are a somewhat humorous challenge, whereas the sea lions do present a real problem [when fed].”
Two adult eagles are to blame for the incidents, Johnson says, even though roughly a dozen frequent the area where the attacks have occurred. Of the “several” people attacked, two were members of Johnson’s staff.
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“One needed three stitches and one didn’t need any, but both had to go to the hospital. The one who needed stitches is in good spirits,” he says.
St. Herman Bay, known locally as Dog Bay, is on the eastern coast of Kodiak Island. As one of the island’s two major boat harbors, it accepts large shipments from the Kenai Peninsula. There are also several fish processing plants located on the island, and Lewis thinks the attacks could have something to do with large quantities of dead fish and scraps littering the docks. Perhaps the birds felt the need to defend what they perceived as their rightful food source. But since the aggressive behavior is starting to wind down, its primary cause might remain a mystery.
“I don’t know what has these particular freedom chickens so upset,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “But hopefully they get over it soon.”
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