Remember when those CGI ninjas trolled the Internet with that video of a golden eagle snatching a baby, and people screamed “FAAAAAAKE!”? Well, what is most definitely not fake is the fact golden eagles are known to snatch up adult deer, which, to us, is even scarier, because they are much larger and more dangerous than human babies (because of antlers and hooves and such). Unfortunately, we just never see it — until now.
The above photo, snapped in Lazovsky State Nature Reserve (Southern Russia), is the first documented case of a golden eagle attacking a deer:
Linda Kerley from the Zoological Society of London and her colleagues working on the project were surprised to find photos of the encounter during a routine equipment check. “It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like it,” says Kerley. “It’s rare for golden eagles to snatch up deer.”
The eagles tend to stick to smaller prey, normally going no larger than coyotes, but there is one documented case of an eagle snatching a brown bear cub and flying off to parts unknown, which means nothing is safe from this airborne terror. Including children.
[io9]
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