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'Angry birds' strike fear in Swedish golfers

Published: 5 Jul 12 13:44 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/41854/20120705/

A golf club in southern Sweden is planning to hunt the crows on their course after a violent spate of attacks and thieveries have left golfers in fear.

Golfers at the Rya Golf Club in Rydebäck, southern Sweden, have been subjected to a swarm of attacks from angry birds which are both hungry and breeding.

“This year, they actually attacked our guests for the first time,” the club’s receptionist, Annika Hermansson, told The Local.

“The crows have always come down looking for people’s food, but they are getting vicious this year.”

Hermansson claims that around 10 people have complained of attacks, one of whom compared his ordeal to a horror film.

“I was just about to swing when two big crows started attacking and biting me. They flew at my head from two different angles and when I hit back they started attacking one another,” Gry Nilsson told the local Helsingblad Dagbladet newspaper.

“It was nasty; I was completely alone and thought that even more would come. It was as if we were in Hitchcock’s 'The Birds'.”

However, the birds are not only attacking avid golfers – they’re also commiting a new and irritating feathered felony.

“They’re taking people’s lunch - but it doesn’t stop at that! Some people have lost their keys, glasses – even their telephones,” Hermansson told The Local.

“We’ve had to warn guests to keep their bags tightly closed at all times and we’re even considering introducing hats for the players with big eyes on them to frighten off the crows.”

However, if simply scaring the birds away doesn’t work, the club is prepared to look into more drastic measures, as it has in previous years.

“We’re planning to have the birds professionally hunted. Such measures can be taken when animals are causing trouble like this, especially when they are hurting people,” Hermansson told The Local.

Oliver Gee
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14:31 July 5, 2012 by whoye
that's just perfect. those elitist white high class businessmen deserve much worse. thousands acres of perfect land wasted on such a stupid and boring game. and now birds should be killed so they can play their pathetic game, eii??
14:44 July 5, 2012 by Paul_225
I hope someone gets bird sh*t in their eye.
15:06 July 5, 2012 by Rishonim
When they are not killing the wolf's they are killing rabbits, albino elks, beavers and now crows...When will these people stop?
15:13 July 5, 2012 by Svealander
"those elitist white high class businessmen" - whoye

Assuming you weren't referring to hair or clothing colour, since when do you have to be white in order to enjoy golf? You might want to ask Tiger Woods.
15:23 July 5, 2012 by whoye
#Svealander

you don't have to be, but odds are that you are. and if the club is in sweden (which it is), then most certainly you are.
19:41 July 5, 2012 by johan rebel
Nice pic, but Swedish crows are not black.
21:19 July 5, 2012 by Flutterbye
Definition of a game of golf........a good walk ruined.
22:02 July 5, 2012 by VoodooDingy
And.. definition of "golfer": a drunk liar in ugly clothes who plays with his balls in public
23:33 July 5, 2012 by whoye
for proper mocking on golfing, great George Carlin:

watch?v=Z4w7H48tBS8
18:24 July 6, 2012 by bcterry
Crows are only aggressive to humans when they're protecting their newborn.

It lasts only about 3 weeks out of the year.

"Aggression Towards Pets and Humans"

Both pets and humans are far beyond the size of crow prey.

Aggression is almost always the result of adult crows protecting nearby young and is limited to a very small area. It is a temporary situation that is best resolved by trying to avoid the area they are protecting. While it can be intimidating, crows rarely present a threat to humans, dogs or cats.
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