Caught on camera: Eagle attacks deer
theweathernetwork.com
Thursday, September 26, 2013, 9:23 AM -
Remote cameras set up to track Siberian tigers in Russia have caught a golden eagle attack on a sika deer.
Linda Kerley of the Zoological Society of London said she was shocked when she went to do a routine check on the camera.
"Something felt wrong about it," Kerley said in a press release. "There were no large carnivore tracks in the snow, and it looked like the deer had been running and then just stopped and died."
The camera snapped three images during a two second period, allowing Kerley and fellow researchers to piece together what had happened.
Golden eagles typically eat small birds or mammals, but they've also been known to target deer. Experts say however, that it's rare for a camera to catch such an attack in progress.
"I’ve been assessing deer causes of death in Russia for 18 years—this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this," Kerley said.
The Zoological Society of London said the images were shot in the Lazovsky State Nature Reserve in the Primorye region of Russia's Far East in December 2011 and were published in this month's edition of the Journal of Raptor Research.
(Zoological Society of London)
(Zoological Society of London)
(Zoological Society of London)
With files from The Associated Press, QMI Agency
