Fishermen rescue bald eagle trapped in octopus' tentacles
Fishermen in Canada rescued a bald eagle engaged in a battle for survival with a massive octopus this week. It could have been a deadly match, but luckily, both animals survived the incident.
Staff at Mahatta West Farm in Quatsino, Canada said the eagle bit off more than it could chew when it tried to catch an octopus. A video of the encounter shows the bird on the surface of the water with its wings spread, trapped in the tentacles of a giant red octopus.
Upon discovering the situation, staff used a pole to lift the octopus off of the eagle. "The was amazing!" one of the rescuers said after they successfully separated the battling duo. "We saved that eagle!"
After the incident, the octopus swam away unharmed and the eagle recovered on a nearby branch before flying away around 10 minutes later, the farm said.
The United States removed bald eagles from its list of endangered and threatened species in 2007. However, they are still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act.
"They are used to seeing the wonders of nature around them on a regular basis, but they knew that this was a once in a lifetime experience," the farm said of the fishermen after the incident.
