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:
Golden Eagle Carries Off A Fox
A simple but awe inspiring video. Golden eagles just might be the most bad*ss 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.
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.
And no… this is not AI. This video was around long before AI started ruining the internet…
