Get knocked down three times, fly away once.
I think it’s time we give birds of prey more respect as a society.
We love talking about wolves and mountain lions, but there are plenty of incredible hunters roaming the airways not too far from just about every person on earth.
Whether we’re talking falcons, eagles, hawks, or owls, the more you learn about raptors the more enraptured you’ll get. These guys are capable of taking out deer, flying away with foxes, and attacking with extreme precision, proving that their abilities are well beyond their reputation.
Well, a video of an epic battle between an osprey and pompano (also called a jack) went viral a few weeks back and my goodness am I sorry I didn’t see it until now.
Captured by wildlife photographer Mark Smith, the clip shows the moments after the osprey made its high speed dive into the water to snag the fish and was attempting to fly it away to its nest to feast.
But this jack wasn’t going down without a fight.
The fish struggled against the raptor and was able to pull the bird underwater not one, not two, but three times, each one an all-out battle for life.
And while we can and should sing the praises of the fish for putting up such a good fight, at the end, it was futile.
The osprey was able to get some air under its wings and power itself into the sky, the pompano skewered in its sharp talons.
What a beautiful, harsh, and real moment.
