It was inevitably, really. With drones already contributing to a higher increase in air traffic, not only are pilots growing frustrated at the unmanned aerial vehicles getting in their way, but now birds are pissed off with them, too.
The Dutch National Police have set up an elite task force in order to take down drones at will, with this task force being solely composed of eagles. Yes, eagles. The DNP have trained these birds of prey to fly in and snatch drones right out of the air, in order to provide an alternative to the previous methods of jamming their signals or shooting them down.
The end result is a pretty incredible example of nature overcoming technology, with the eagles effortlessly snagging the drones before transporting them to another location.
The Dutch police have teamed with Netherlands company Guard From Above in order to train the eagles, with tests being carried out over the next few months. The authorities are also looking how to ensure the safety of the eagles, given that they’re open to injuring themselves on the drone’s propeller blades, and could also potentially find themselves in a feathery situation if the drones are weaponized.
Check out the eagles in action below:
