--- title: Oregon Owl Sign: Rachel Maddow Segment Leads to New Caution description: It's quite a cautionary tale canonical: https://time.com/3708466/angry-owl-signs/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-13T01:43:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:48:36.291Z og:title: This Town Had to Put Up Signs Warning People About Its Angry Owl og:description: It's quite a cautionary tale. og:url: https://time.com/3708466/angry-owl-signs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f1d0169882b1941/69877f2355a859cc58a85cf0/owl-attack.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4944 og:image:height: 2781 og:image:alt: Sign warning visitors of the recent owl attacks at Bush's Pasture Park on Feb. 12, 2015. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Town Had to Put Up Signs Warning People About Its Angry Owl twitter:description: It's quite a cautionary tale. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6f1d0169882b1941/69877f2355a859cc58a85cf0/owl-attack.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Town Had to Put Up Signs Warning People About Its Angry Owl > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=9a0f64db-b46f-4c39-8d9b-19a3e5884af9&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Know Right Now: Jon Stewart to Leave Daily Show [Watch (HLS stream): Know Right Now: Jon Stewart to Leave Daily Show](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/SVXmbNqF.m3u8) (1:03)  _Published 2015-02-11. Watch the Know Right Now to catch up on today's top story!_ by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Feb 13, 2015 1:43 AM UTC  Sign warning visitors of the recent owl attacks at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore., on Feb. 12, 2015 Sign warning visitors of the recent owl attacks at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Ore., on Feb. 12, 2015 Danielle Peterson—AP by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Feb 13, 2015 1:43 AM UTC What started as a joke on MSNBC’s _The Rachel Maddow Show_ has now become a reality for Oregon’s capital city. The show’s host, Rachel Maddow, has been paying a lot of attention to some wacky news coming out of Oregon lately. The news item that’s got the state paying attention to Maddow, though, involves one really angry owl. After four runners were attacked by an owl in Salem, one of whom was clawed so badly he thought he was having an aneurysm, Maddow suggested the town post a yellow hazard sign warning about the bird. But not just any sign: she wanted one depicting a figure running from a menacing owl on the attack. So, the town obliged. According to the [Associated Press](http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Angry-Owl/e0ffc98484604d25969bb917ade92334/2/0), about 20 such signs — inspired by Maddow — will be put up in the city where the owl has been wreaking havoc. This gives “service journalism” a whole new meaning. \[[_AP_](http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Angry-Owl/e0ffc98484604d25969bb917ade92334/2/0)\] ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Doug Herzog, Michelle Gainless of Comedy Central gave me an incredible opportunity 17 years ago to pilot this wonderful franchise. In my heart, I know it is time for someone else to have that opportunity. [ NOISE ] [ MUSIC ] I'm up in September, might be around then, might be December, might be July. We're, we're still working out details. I don't have any specific plans. Got a lot of ideas, I got a lot of things. [ MUSIC ] [ APPLAUSE ] Anyway. [ APPLAUSE ] What is this fluid? 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