Parrot Attacks Pedestrian... Taiwanese Owner Fined 100 Million Won for Negligence

Doctor Jogging Scratched on the Back of the Head
2-Month Prison Sentence for Negligence in Management
Taiwan Court Calls It a "Very Rare Case"

A parrot attacked a jogging doctor in Taiwan, leading to the owner being sentenced to two months in prison and fined $91,350 (approximately 112.53 million KRW) for negligence in management, BBC reported on the 1st.

According to local media including Taiwan Central News Agency (CNA), on the evening of July 13, 2020, in Guiren District, Mr. Huang (黃) briefly released two parrots he was raising, letting them fly into the sky.

Blue-and-Yellow Macaw parrot. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Getty Images Bank]

Soon after, one of the birds flew and perched on the shoulder of Mr. Lin (林), who was jogging on a nearby road. The large bird, measuring 40 cm in height with a wingspan of 60 cm, flapped its wings and scratched the back of Lin’s head. Startled, Lin fell to the ground and suffered serious injuries including a dislocated hip and fractured pelvis.

Lin, who worked as a plastic surgeon, filed a criminal complaint against parrot owner Mr. Huang for negligent injury. Lin also filed a civil lawsuit seeking monetary compensation for financial losses, stating that he was unable to work for a total of six months due to one week of hospitalization and three months of special treatment including rehabilitation and convalescence.

His lawyer explained in a TVBS news interview, "Dr. Lin can walk now, but experiences numbness when standing for long periods."

The Tainan District Court recently ruled on the damages lawsuit, stating that parrot owner Mr. Huang neglected the necessary precautions and ordered him to pay $91,350 (approximately 112 million KRW) to Mr. Lin. The court also found him guilty of negligent injury and sentenced him to two months in prison.

A court official told local media in an interview, "This is a very rare case," adding, "We have not seen such a civil lawsuit in the past 10 years." Mr. Huang said, "I respect the court’s decision, but the parrot is never aggressive and the compensation amount is too high," and announced plans to appeal.