\’Straight Into the Eye\’: WA Girl Fighting to Save Vision After Magpie Swoop Attack at School

A routine walk across a school oval in the West Australian town of Australind turned into a nightmare after a magpie swoop resulted in a devastating eye injury for a 12-year-old student.

The Year 7 student, named Sam, was walking across the school grounds when the territorial bird struck.

\”She was head down and it\’s just come from the front and straight into the eye,\” Sam\’s mother, Nicole, recounted.

Sam was rushed to Perth Children\’s Hospital where she has already undergone two surgeries. Her mother described the immediate aftermath: \”I could just see it in her face, she was in a lot of pain. She was crying and panicking as well.\”

The bird\’s beak caused critical damage to the lens of her left eye. While the extent of the damage is still unknown, there are fears Sam may never see out of the eye again.

The family does not blame anyone for the unusual incident but noted other students had reported issues with the same bird previously. The mother believes the magpie, likely protecting its nest, saw Sam as being \”in the wrong place at the wrong time.\”

While the peak of the magpie breeding season is nearing its end, Curtin University ecologist Associate Professor Bill Bateman warned that a risk remains. He explained the aggression is due to high testosterone levels in males when chicks are in the nest.

Experts advise the public to avoid magpie hotspots, wear a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses, and most importantly: \”Keep moving and get out of the area.\”