As with practically all raptor species, the Eagle owls greatest enemy is MAN. Direct human persecution from farmers (shooting and trapping) has declined in recent years because most of the farmers have come to understand how beneficial these birds are in keeping their fields and yards free of rodents. But there are still some knuckle-scrapers out there that just don't get it. I used to live during school holidays on a large farm where the Neigbouring farm owner shot all the raptors that flew overhead and then was forced to apply hundreds of pounds of rat poison every year to keep the rats and mice from chewing through the baling strings and his harvest.. They found a safe haven at my Aunts farm.. However, indirect human persecution persists today in the form of secondary pesticide poisoning. Whatever toxins that the rodents have ingested have an accumulative effect on the raptor. That's what happened to the Peregrine and the Bald Eagle back in the 70's. They fed on DDT contaminated animals that lived in or near water. DDT is a very strong pesticide that got into the food chain by way of run-off. The pesticide didn't kill the raptors outright, but it effected the calcium output leading to eggshell thinning. Thank goodness we turned that one around! This owl is often called the Tiger of the woods, and not given this name for nothing..