This is simply amazing.

The eagle had a bit of a tailstrike after the first attempted jettison, but he recovered. Isn't nature spectacular!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e2AINr0kJE

That is incredible--I wonder what the announcer is saying?

It's amazing that the Eagle has learned to "harvest" goats in this manner. While it may not be common, there must be enough frequency to have some one stake out and capture it on tape. The Eagle and the Kid shown in the first part may or may not be the ones in the final scene, shows forethought, adding dramatics! Great video!!! It appeared to me the Eagle's full intention was to drag the kid off the ledge, just incredible. I think the videoghapher was saying " how do me glue ths peliquali 2 BCP?

Wow.............some good eatin there!

That's amazing.

The eagle came close to being toast himself. Once they grab something, the tendons in their feet basically go over center, and the only way they can release their grip is by setting it down, and pressing down on the foot to release. This is an adaptation to allow them to carry prey items for long distances without having to exert any muscular effort. As long as the prey is hanging, it's attached.

Note that the eagle bounced the kid off some rocks after he pulled it off the ledge, allowing him to release it.

Great footage, and bad day for the kid.

MTV

I suspect a little "Walt Disney" here. In nature photography today, very little is truly natural. The chances of having multiple cameras set up with exactly the correct angles on something this unique, are few. We are requested frequently to aid in filming falcons catching prey items and produced as "natural". Friends of mine have helped Marty Staufer (sp?) on many occasions with bits exactly like this one.

The "knock something off the cliff" behavior seen here is not unheard of in eagles....or Condors for that matter. Ralph

DANG, Ralph!!!! You just ruined my afternoon TV viewing pleasure...

MANY years ago, as a youngster, I was priviledged to observe Marlin Perkins and Jungle Boy filming a program at the National Bison Range. There was a wildfire burning, and their theme was all the critters trying valiantly to escape the flames...

The animal handlers they'd hired had a bobcat, and they wanted to film the cat swimming the Jocko River to illustrate how "desperate" the cat was to escape the flames, knowing how much "cats" hate water.

They spent half an hour trying to coax the cat into the water. Finally, the Jungle man picked up the cat (which was declawed), petted it for a moment, then overhanded it out into the middle of the river. "Roll Em!!".

They also wanted the folks at the Bison Range to stampede the buffalo in front of the fire for the desired video. The Manager declined.

I've never viewed any of those nature shows quite the same, but I still have this vivid image of a very large man lobbing a bobcat out into the river....that cat was as surprised as anyone.

MTV

You see this between Golden Eagles and Dall Sheep where both species occur. I've personally seen it happen. Not hard, considering a 10 lb bird with a wingspan wider than your car. It's the lambs that they go for, not the adults. Too bad the sheep are hard-wired to run to the cliff edges to escape predators. Works fine against wolves and wolverines- not so great against eagles.

-DP

MTV,
You remember Jim Fowler? He was the guy that did all of the actual animal wrangling while Marlin Perkins did the narrating. Anyway he and I go to the same Church and he has a farm here in town with Giraffes and many other unusual animals. It was a hoot growing up near this guy as he always had something weird at the farm.