World News for Students of English

06-03-2015 07:00

Residents in the Dutch town of Purmerend have been advised to arm themselves with umbrellas at night to protect themselves from a recent spate of owl attacks. Many have come under attack from the birds in recent weeks with some ending up requiring treatment in hospital.

Two members of the local athletics club were the latest to fall prey to the bird on Tuesday. Victim Martin Berghraaf was given a tetanus injection following the bird’s attack.

The local town councillor has said authorities were hoping to be permitted to catch the bird which is a protected species. The council said it was planning for a falconer to try to catch the owl so that it can be given quality care if and when it is caught.

Difficult words: resident (a person who lives somewhere), spate (a series), fall prey to (to be hunted by), tetanus (a bacterial disease), councillor (a member of a council or a group of people who manage something), species (animal kind), falconer (a person who trains birds of prey – big birds which can hunt).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com