US: Bald eagle attacks state drone worth $950, mistakes it for a rival bird

A bald eagle attacked and destroyed a government drone that was flying above Lake Michigan. According to reports, the drone was on an environmental monitoring mission. As a part of the mission, the drone was mapping shoreline erosion near Escanaba in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to document and help communities cope with high water levels.

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Bald Eagle attacks drone

Hunter King who was the drone pilot and also an environmental quality analyst reportedly said that about 7 minutes of mapping were completed but then the satellite reception became spotty. Reports suggest that the Phantom 4 Pro Advanced quadcopter drone was about 162ft in the sky when it was mistaken for a rival bird by the bald eagle. The drone was worth $950. As a result of this attack, EGLE’s drone team is considering ways to prevent such attacks in future. They are planning to come up with designs that would make it less likely for the eagles to mistake drones for rival birds.

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According to reports, there were two bird watchers who witnessed the attack. They reportedly said that they didn’t realize it was a drone. The drone sent 27 warning notifications in the 3.5 seconds that it took to fall down into water. One warning notification was about the missing propeller. Reports suggest that the drone landed in 4 feet of water about 150 feet offshore. EGLE’s drone team also reached out to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to see if anything could be done legally. However, a spokesperson reportedly said that the agency has no authority to issue corrective action notices against wildlife. He added, there is nothing that they could do as nature is unforgiving and cruel.

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(Image Credits: Unsplash/Pixabay)