The owner of a missing eagle owl has gotten messages from members of the public who are threatening to shoot his pet.
The owl - who goes by Tank or Owlington - has been missing from her home in Kildare since Friday.
Owner Darren Jackson says rumours of the bird attacking a child are not true - it was later confirmed a robin redbreast had landed on the baby's pram.
Darren says rumours such as this are stirring up unnecessary fear: "News sites have made her seem like she's some sort of deranged animal, which is not the case.
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"There's been a number of people who have sent me messages to say they'll shoot her if they see her", he continued. "That's not what we want at all."
