A community in Kunming, Yunnan Province is reportedly suffering from a string of nighttime owl attacks, which one sleuthing area man believes to be triggered by the glare from mobile phones.

Residents of Jinsha residential compound believe they pinpointed the reason after finding every victim had been attacked while walking  at night and playing with their mobiles. 

The resident, surnamed Cui, put the theory to the test on May 15 and made a startling discovery. 

 "I walked with my mobile around 11 - 12pm while a friend watched nearby. Nothing was stirring," said Cui. "But as soon as a text message notification popped up, suddenly I heard my friend yell, 'they're here!' and I saw an owl flying nearby."

Experts explain that the light-sensitive birds may be mistaking the phone screens for small animals. 

Chuncheng Evening News