Golden eagles vs caribou calves

Golden eagles have been filmed hunting and attempting to kill reindeer calves.

One eagle was filmed swooping down and grabbing a calf, while another pulled out of an attack at the last minute.

Article and video clips here.

To kill a reindeer, the birds strike it in a specific region in its haunches, driving their talons into the mammal's kidneys.

"They are not killing anything instantly so they have to ride like a rodeo cowboy on the back of the calf," explained Dr Oakes.

This is yet another instance where the locals had long been familiar with how "their" animals interacted, but were not believed by scientists until the scientists witnessed it themselves.

Posted by David on October 20, 2009 9:22 AM