Nature is a scary place.
An eagle-eyed bystander (see what I did there?) looked up in the sky and was surprised to see a golden eagle carrying a baby lamb through the air. The massive bird appears to have picked up “take-out” and was returning home, showing no real issues maintaining flight with the rather large prey in its claws.
Golden eagles are large, powerful birds of prey known for their majestic appearance and impressive hunting abilities. They are found in various habitats across North America, Eurasia, and parts of Africa.
With a wingspan ranging from 6 to 8 feet, and a body length of about 2.5 to 3.5 feet, they are some of the most skilled hunters on the planet. They have a sharp, hooked beak, powerful talons, and keen eyesight, which helps them spot prey from great distances.
Their diet consists of small to medium-sized mammals, such as rabbits, hares, ground squirrels, and marmots. They are also known to prey on birds, reptiles, and occasionally, carrion.
Capable of reaching diving speeds of 150 miles per hour, they also have the strongest grip of any raptor, which is how they can carry fairly large mammals through the air. Sometimes golden eagles will use their powerful talons to drag large animals, like mountain-inhabiting goats, right off the side of a cliff, and then swoop down to collect their easy meal.
Eagles and hawks have long been known to steal away small animals. A viral story from 5 years ago revealed that an eagle had stolen a small dog right out of someone’s backyard, and luckily the dog was found alive over 4 miles away from where it was picked up.
This particular video has had many people guessing what the majestic eagle is holding in its talons. Some have said it is a smaller goat, while others have guessed it was a smaller dog.
We are rolling with the fact that it a small lamb, but regardless of what it is, we can confirm that the eagle will be having a pretty good dinner.
The video is captioned:
“Going for a ride tonight?”
Of all the ways to go, I feel like getting picked up by an eagle is somewhere in the middle. It isn’t the best way to go because I doubt it is very peaceful, but then again, if you were a land-based animal and at least got to get some aerial views on your way out, that might not be bad at all.
It probably is actually very bad, but I am trying to present a “glass half full” point of view.
I’m still very impressed that the eagle is flying with ease carrying the small animal. I knew that eagles were among some of the strongest birds on the planet, but I thought it would at least show a little bit of struggle.
Maybe similar to how I am when I try to carry all the groceries in with one trip (I’m a one tripper, through and through). Usually I know that I can carry all of the bags that I have picked up, but I do start to show some signs of wear and tear when I get close to the door.
Salute to the eagle though, and pour one out for the lamb that got to go for a ride. One is having a great day, and the other (obviously) not so much…
Here’s an alternate angle of what seems to be the same golden eagle:
Eagles Drags Mountain Goats Off Of A Cliff
I spend a lot of time on the internet… it’s kind of my job.
I see A LOT of crazy stuff, probably too much for my own mental well-being, but these giant eagles might be the craziest things on the internet.
A while back, we shared a video of one trying to snag an eight year old child in Kyrgyzstan, and while terrifying, it wasn’t quite able to lift the child off the ground and fly away. She was unharmed, but nevertheless… head on a swivel in golden eagle country.
And while they usually prey on smaller mammals, they’ll think nothing of attacking a wild boar, a wolf, or a bear, and sometimes… even people.
But perhaps their craziest method of hunting… mountain goats.
Adult golden eagles can grow to more than 3.5 feet long from beak to tail, with wingspans of up to 8 feet. The birds weigh between 7 and 12 pounds on average – about the same size as a newborn lamb. With a grip strength of about 750 pounds per square inch, that’s stronger than the jaws of a lion.
Flying thousands of feet in the air, with vision that can see for miles… these flying raptors are truly savage killers.
But when it comes to mountain goats, these eagles will dig their talons into the back, and with that insane grip strength, drag the mountain goat off a cliff and let gravity do the rest.
Even if they can just do enough to make the goat lose its footing, at that height… it’s game over.
It’s genius and efficient.
Deer Hunting With Eagles
I see your rifle hunt, I see your bow hunt, and I raise you…
Hunting deer with an eagle.
I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve never seen anything like this before.
We all know about running dogs while hunting feral hogs (or bears for the folks that do that), but never in my life have I seen an eagle, one of the world’s most pristine birds, be used for deer hunting.
A video has gone viral of a hunter releasing an eagle, as the deer sprints off in the other direction.
Sure enough, the eagle tracks down the deer, taking down its prey, and that’s ballgame.
This type of hunting is practiced in parts of Europe, particularly in Hungary, as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia.
A few videos have surfaced over the years of this practice, but have been few and far between.
It’s WILD…
Golden Eagle Makes Flying Off With A Fox Look Way Too Easy
A simple but awe inspiring video.
Golden eagles just might be the most badass bird on the planet. Even larger than bald eagles, they’re the largest bird of prey in North America and one of the biggest on the planet.
Golden eagles are such strong predators that videos of the birds snatching children, hunting wild boars, and dragging goats off cliffs have all generated buzz online.
Earlier this spring, the state of Wyoming even recently approved plans to relocate a group of the birds that have been eating sheep on ranches.
Despite being voracious hunters, golden eagles are also fantastic parents.
Mother and father birds both take turns defending the nest, incubating the eggs, hunting for food, and feeding the chicks. Golden eagles also build some of the biggest nests in the bird world, often times 5-6 feet wide and 2 feet tall.
The raw power and sheer size of the species is on full display.
The big bird just grabs that fox, holds onto it tight, and flies off into the mountain mist, most likely to go feed a big nest full of some baby eagles.
Nature, man… it’s WILD.
Bald Eagle Drags Fish To Shore In Wisconsin Lake
Bald Eagles might be one of the most fascinating predators you can see in the wild.
Soaring high above everything, the powerful symbol of strength and freedom for entire country, I mean, it’s as majestic as a bird can be.
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to witness one hunting, you understand. They soar or perch high above, using incredible eye-sight, they swoop in and grab anything that is the target.
Their precision is simply amazing.
One of the only things that does not disappoint you when they out fish you, that’s for sure.
This video from Hayward, Wisconsin, shows something that I have heard stories of, but never have witnessed. A bald eagle gets a catch out of the water that is too big and fighting too much for it to take back off. Using it’s wings it beats its way through the water towards shore.
“Look at that big ass fish”
The eagle pulls up what looks like a large carp, and it’s easy to see why it struggled to fly and had to swim to shore. It was a large enough to feed more than this one eagle.
Hats off to the people who caught this on video, a once in a lifetime experience no doubt.
Here’s more the from the folks behind the camera:
“We were staying in a cabin in Hayward Wisconsin on the Chippewa Flowage. We were sitting in the living room with a view of the lake and noticed an eagle swimming towards our beach.
At first, I thought it was hurt but then it swam to shore with a 20-ound carp in its talons. It sat on the shore and ate the fish for a couple of hours and then came back in the morning and finished eating the Carp.
It was truly an amazing sight to see! I’m glad I was to capture it on film for others to enjoy.”
It never ceases to amaze the things wildlife do.
