A golden eagle swoops down like an assassin from the sky, sinking its claws into its hefty prey – a sika deer.
The scene, which is the first documented case of such an attack, was captured at the Lazovsky State Nature Reserve in southern Russia by a camera trap used to monitor Siberian tigers. 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 birds of prey typically hunt other birds or small mammals but they occasionally opt for larger prey, such as coyotes. In another rare event, a golden eagle was spotted grabbing a brown bear cub that was trailing behind its mother, carrying it up into the clouds where it disappeared from view. No remains were found.
Journal reference: Journal of Raptor Research, DOI: 10.3356/JRR-12-00008.1
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