The eagle owl which terrorised the Dutch town of Purmerend last year has been found a permanent home in Amsterdam’s Artis zoo.

Experts have told the Parool newspaper the bird cannot be released into the wild because of the risk it will continue to attack people.

The owl was caught in mid-March 2015 after attacking dozens of people in Purmerend, north of Amsterdam, and generated newspaper headlines around the world. Several people needed hospital treatment for wounds to their heads during its five-week reign of terror, and the council recommended people carry umbrellas as protection.

Zoo vet Frank Verstappen told the paper the owl likes to hide away in its enclosure and is easy to handle. Artis now has two eagle owls, living in separate cages. Officials say they will look for a mate for the ‘horror owl’ at a later date.

Experts at the bird sanctuary where the eagle owl was first placed say it is a young male in good health and with strong eyesight and was born in captivity. The bird is not ringed or chipped and no clue has been found as to where the bird came from.