Wildlife Photographer Captures Shocking Moment Eagles Flying Off With Piglet
Australia is known for its weird stories and extremely scary animal encounter stories, and in the latest viral story, it is no different.
Astonishing images of a bizarre incident that happened in Australia shows a feral pig being carried off in the talons of an enormous eagle.
Clarke Espie, a wildlife photographer, was driving back to his campsite in Queensland’s Cromarty Wetlands when he heard a high-pitched shriek from high above him.
Realizing something was wrong, Clarke grabbed his camera and went to the scene right away.
Upon arriving, he saw a helpless pig squealing as it was being carried through the air by a pair of large sea eagles.
According to Clarke, the 2 sea eagles carried the ill-fated piglet across a lake before settling down together to feast on its flesh.
Clarke, who once worked as a documentary-maker for 35 years, said, “I had been invited to capture the unique and diverse birdlife inhabiting these world-class wetlands. Little did I imagine witnessing two massive sea eagles swooping low over my vehicle, one with a feral pig firmly gripped in its powerful talons.”
Clarke, who was also a commercial diver, added, “Despite its powerful wings, the sea eagle struggled to gain altitude before landing its prey upon a small island within the wetlands, where together the eagles shared the prey.”
He continued, “I hurriedly snapped these images with a 500mm Telephoto lens as the sea eagles swept past. It was one of the most unusual sights I’ve seen. I thought it must’ve been a fish at first but as soon as I focused, I could see it was a piglet. It must have weighed around 5kg. Definitely not something I’ve witnessed before.”
Clarke admitted that he was astounded by the encounter, which he called one of a kind.
Talking about the moment, he said, “I’ve seen the imposing white-bellied sea eagle carnivore swoop in a shallow dive to snatch prey in its massive and powerful talons, taking fish, waterbirds, turtles, rabbits, flying foxes etc. before now, but this was something very rarely seen. I was astounded.”
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