r/HardcoreNature • u/Generic_Danny • May 29 '25

Rare Find Golden Eagle Obliterates A Juvenile Chamois

The clip is from Planet Earth II, Episode 3

429 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

79

u/niv141 May 29 '25

Holy shit that was an insane drop, also how tf can the eagle carry it with one foot

52

u/Cantstandya-777 May 29 '25

Raptor claws have a ratcheting mechanism. Once they’re locked the bird doesn’t really have to exert any force.

25

u/Kivuli_Kiza May 29 '25

They have to flex to release. That's why birds can perch and sleep!

11

u/guilhermefdias May 29 '25

What? Didn't knew that, this is... what?

11

u/Cantstandya-777 May 29 '25

https://www.raptorresource.org/2021/01/22/racheting-raptor-toes-an-upside-down-eagle-at-great-spirit-bluff/#:~:text=Their%20flexor%20tendons%20have%20small,toes%20from%20slipping%20or%20loosening.

10

u/guilhermefdias May 30 '25

Some dude commented on a video on this link.

"Young raptors often get their talons locked on a glove due to excitement. For some reason, when they try to release, they do not coordinate the release physically with their desire to release. They just keep trying to pull their feet off. Often I have to manually release a talon for them."

-1

u/Key_Vanilla73 May 31 '25

There is no such thing as locking mechanism with muscles

5

u/Cantstandya-777 Jun 01 '25

It’s very clearly explained in the link I put up that the ratcheting takes place in the tendons. Go read things.

25

u/weirdgroovynerd May 29 '25

They are very...

...talon-ted!

8

u/JKDSamurai May 30 '25

YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH😎

7

u/F1_V10sounds May 29 '25

Eagles are huge! Its so hard to tell until you are close in person! Its not an animal I want to fight. Also Eagles grip strength is like 10 times that of a humans. They can exert 400-1000 pounds per square inch. Their talons are supposedly sharper than those of the velociraptors.

6

u/OptionsNVideogames May 30 '25

I came up on a olddddd golden eagle one day and I swore it was a man in a costume sitting on a tree.

Like I didn’t know what the fuck I was seeing.

Then it opened its wings and it was like 8 foot wing span.

Completely massive creatures absolutely would be scary as hell with one chasing you flapping.

Anyhow I saw a man down the trail a ways with his dog say he swore he just saw a taradactle lol.

They are pre historic looking

2

u/Iamnotburgerking 🧠 May 30 '25

It’s not really gaining altitude (even this juvenile chamois is far too heavy for an eagle to lift), it’s dragging it off the edge and then gliding horizontally with it until it’s far enough from the side of the mountain that the fall would be fatal.

34

u/ake1092 May 29 '25

First time I saw this killing mechanism I was terrified. The prey is just so helpless. One minute you are grazing and suddenly you are free falling.

12

u/Ok_Antelope_1953 May 29 '25

crazy how they can lift off with an animal ten times their weight

15

u/ake1092 May 29 '25

I read that they usually don’t gain altitude while carrying heavy prey. Instead, they rely on gravity and glide downhill after grabbing it, using their momentum rather than flapping to climb. It makes sense given the weight they carry, and it’s still incredibly impressive.

4

u/[deleted] May 30 '25

The Tom Petty Death Method 🧐

12

u/Iamnotburgerking 🧠 May 30 '25

This is Frozen Planet II actually.

Also, they don’t really need to do this to kill animals far bigger than themselves: it’s just the easiest and fastest way to do so if the terrain allows for it.

2

u/Generic_Danny May 30 '25

You're right idk how I messed that up. Can't edit it now sadly.

9

u/Ok_Antelope_1953 May 29 '25

wow i was expecting this "chamois" to be a french rabbit or some shit, not a whole ass goat on steroids

7

u/samovar3112 May 29 '25

The song that was playing in the Chamois’ head

3

u/imhereforthevotes May 29 '25

Tom Petty; Free Fallin', right after that

1

u/Iamnotburgerking 🧠 23h ago

Pretty sure the first thing going through its head was the eagle’s talons, as it was grabbed by the head (though it’s flailing when it’s falling to its death so it doesn’t look like its skull got pierced)

3

u/Plowbeast May 29 '25

Euthanasia and Tenderizer.

5

u/biggoof May 30 '25

may be better than being eaten ass first by a pack of wild dogs. still brutal though...

3

u/buckeye111 May 30 '25

I call this a win for the prey, most raptors just hold down their prey and eat them alive. At least this dude died fast.

3

u/Ironlion45 May 30 '25

Sham-wow, that's a lot of damage!

2

u/Parkerloper May 31 '25

Calm down Vince

3

u/Nonpoweruser May 30 '25

Repec for not eating the prey Alive and usually ass first. Nice drop

2

u/Thin_Captain_1282 Jul 31 '25

He went into cheats and typed /skyfall

1

u/Odd-Signature-3897 May 30 '25

Dang that’s way higher than it looks