In a heartfelt plea to the public, Nicole Moodie has come forward with a cautionary tale following a distressing incident involving her daughter, Sam. The family is now grappling with the potential threat to Sam’s eyesight, and Nicole is determined to spread awareness to prevent similar accidents.
“I’ve always warned my children to avoid looking up when they hear the call of a bird,” Nicole shared with 9News, reflecting on the incident that has left her daughter in distress.
The unfortunate event unfolded as 12-year-old Sam crossed her school oval in the Western Australia town of Australind. Without warning, a magpie swooped down, targeting the unsuspecting girl and striking her in the eye.
“I could see the agony etched on her face,” Nicole recounted. “Sam has always had a high tolerance for pain, yet in that moment, she was visibly hurting, crying, and overwhelmed with panic.”
Nicole’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the unpredictable nature of wildlife interactions, particularly during magpie swooping season, and highlights the need for increased vigilance to protect others from similar harm.
“She’s got a high pain tolerance but she was very pained, she was crying and panicking as well.”
The Year 7 student has undergone two surgeries and is now at Perth Children’s Hospital.
While the extent of the damage still unknown, Sam may never see out of her left eye again after the bird’s beak caused damage to the lens.
The family don’t blame anyone but say other students had issues with the magpie before.
“From what I understand they had moved the baby the day of, and obviously dad was still where he was so he was a bit annoyed I think,” Nicole said.
“It’s just a really bad situation where she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
While magpie breeding season is at the tail end, experts say there’s still a risk.
“When the chicks are in the nest, and the males have a peak of testosterone around that time and that’s when they are the most aggressive or defensive,” Curtain University ecologist Associate Professor Bill Bateman told 9News.
If you’re heading out for a walk, the advice is to be alert – avoid magpie hotspots, wear a broad brim hat and put on some sunglasses.
“The best thing to do is, if you’re swooped by a magpie, is to just to keep moving and get out of the area,” Bateman said.
