A Wailuku man has filed a lawsuit against Maui County after he claimed he was attacked by duck or goose at the Waiehu Golf Course.

The incident happened on Jan. 26.  According to the claim, Ray Sakamura said the bird charged him and bit his pant leg.

As Sakamura tried to back away from the bird, he fell onto his back and side.  He said the bird continued to attack and bit his hand hard enough to cause bleeding.

Sakamura said he pulled the duck or goose off him and went to his cart to put on a bandage.  He said he suffered an L4 compression fracture in his back and required additional first aid to treat the bite wound on his hand.

In the claim to the county submitted on March 23, Sakamura said that "Maui County and/or its employees knew or should have known that the ducks/geese on its property could injure someone."  A claim was also filed with his insurance company.

Sakamura was golfing with five others at the Waiehu Golf Course.

Deputy Corporation Counsel Moana Lutey said there has been no history of animal complaints on that golf course.

"My understanding is that there was a bird out there -- I don't know if it was a duck or a goose -- that would follow golfers around," said Lutey.  "From my understanding it was a passive bird and that the golfers sort of delighted in having a duck or goose or whatever it was follow them around.  It was never aggressive to them; it was never a bird that we placed there or fed in any way."