This is the stunning moment an eagle strikes a mountain goat with its talons, lifts the struggling animal in the air, and then drops it to its death in the Italian Alps.
Even though the mature chamois goat weighs 10 times more than the golden eagle, stunning film shows the predator tackling the unwary animal from above and bringing it to the ground.
According to the BBC, the ‘brutal’ slaying of a mountain goat will be featured in Sunday’s edition of Sir David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet II series. This phenomena has never been captured on film before.
This is the stunning moment an eagle strikes a mountain goat with its talons, lifts the struggling animal in the air, and drops it to its death in the Italian Alps.
According to the BBC, the ‘brutal’ slaughter of a mountain goat (seen prior to the attack) will be shown in Sir David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet II broadcast on Sunday.
However, video shows the golden eagle burying its talons into an adult chamois goat’s neck and dragging it down the rocks at the cliff edge.
The episode, titled Frozen Peaks, depicts a mating pair of eagles plucking juvenile chamois goats from the Italian cliffs, lowering them to their deaths, and then consuming their bodies.
In footage broadcast this morning on BBC Breakfast, however, a golden eagle was seen attacking an adult chamois goat, much to the surprise of the film crew.
Typically, golden eagles prey upon young chamois goats and other medium-sized mammals, such as rabbits, hares, and grouse.
However, video footage reveals the golden eagle digging its talons into the neck of an adult chamois goat and dragging it down the cliff’s edge rocks.
The predator then manages to drag the goat into the air before dropping it in midair, causing it to fall to its death.
Typically, golden eagles prey upon young chamois goats and other medium-sized mammals, such as rabbits, hares, and grouse (file image of chamois goat)
The two eagles were later observed feeding on the mountain goat carcass.
Alex Lanchester, BBC producer, stated that the Frozen Planet crew could not believe what they had observed.
Mr. Lanchester stated to The Express, ‘It has never previously been filmed. We were aware that they targeted calves in the spring, but not adults.
“This is amazing conduct. These goats weigh 10 times as much as the eagle, making it extremely heavy.
They are enormous, and eagles kill them by dropping them off a cliff after picking them up. It is quite brutal. They hunt together.
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