A 15-year-old Cape Breton boy had quite the story to tell after he was dive-bombed by an owl while dirt biking Friday afternoon.
Ben MacNeil says he was out on a trail with his brother in Millville, N.S., when the owl unexpectedly grabbed on to his helmet.
“I've been through there quite a bit,” Ben said. “That's never happened before.”
Luckily, he walked away uninjured.
“It definitely scared me because when you’re trailing, you’re not focusing up in the sky,” he said. “You’re just looking at the trail for rocks and stuff. Not particularly birds.”
MacNeil's mother Lisa says she was shocked when her son came home and told her about his experience.
“A lot of people said if it was me, I would have drove directly into a tree,” she said. “He managed to keep control and stop the bike. If that was me, I think I would have stopped and walked back to see the owl. Who knows how you would react in that situation.”
Andrew Hebda, a curator at the Nova Scotia Museum in Halifax, says it's rare to hear about owl attacks, but says there might be a good reason for it this time of year.
“In all likelihood, you’re looking at a female who's being defensive and perceives a possible threat,” said Hebda. “Probably youngsters just recently fledged, learning how to fly and hunt.”
Hebda believes it was a great horned owl because of its size, but it could have also been a barred owl.
But Ben says one thing’s for sure: he wasn't sticking around to find out.
“My visor actually blocked it, but all I saw was the wings above my helmet when he crashed into me,” he said.
Ben says he just recently started making videos with his GoPro, but admits it will be a while before he's able to top this one.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
