Golden Eagle Swoops Down and Nearly Flies Away With Toddler – But Is It Real? (Update: NO!)
(Editor’s note: As many had speculated, the video in this original post was a clever creation by some film students. See the full story attached at the end of this post.)
This clip will give every parent — wait, every single person who watches it — a chill. However, questions being raised about the video’s veracity.
It starts innocently enough by showing a beautiful Golden Eagle circling the blue skies above a park in Montreal.

Image: YouTube
For the non-bird watchers among us, according to National Geographic, the Golden Eagle is the largest bird of prey in North America. The bird typically feeds on ground squirrels and rabbits. Nat Geo also reports that the Golden Eagle has the ability to strike with amazing speed: “They are extremely swift, and can dive upon their quarry at speeds of more than 150 miles per hour.”

Image: National Geographic – Joe McDonald/Animals Animals
In the viral video, the camera follows the bird as it swoops from the sky into the park, and tries to grab a small child from the grass.

Image: YouTube
The bird did manage to grab and lift the child a few feet off the ground before letting go. The mother and cameraman rushed to the scene to comfort the apparently uninjured baby.

Image: YouTube
Did the baby’s hat – featuring two large eyes – have anything to do with attracting the bird from the sky?
Some web commenters have suggested that the video is a fake. We have watched it several times and believe it to be real. The Toronto Star is reporting that police in Montreal say that no one has called in a report about the alleged attempted abduction.
What do you think?Β Watch the entire clip (content warning for graphic language), and share your opinion in the comments section. Β Is it real or is it just a clever clip?
UPDATE:
You can watch us debate if the video is real or not during our BlazeCast show from earlier today:
UPDATE II:
The video is a fake. Part of a “Hoax the Internet” competition from Centre NAD in Montreal. Β The admission of “guilt” from the NAD website:
The βGolden Eagle Snatches Kidβ video, uploaded to YouTube on the evening of December 18, was made by Normand Archambault, LoΓ―c Mireault and FΓ©lix Marquis-Poulin, students at Centre NAD, in the production simulation workshop class of the Bachelors degree in 3D Animation and Digital Design.
The video shows a royal eagle snatching a young kid while he plays under the watch of his dad. The eagle then drops the kid a few feet away. Both the eagle and the kid were created in 3D animation and integrated in to the film afterwards.
The video has already received more than 1,200,000 views on YouTube and has been mentioned by dozens of media in Canada and abroad.
The production simulation workshop class, offered in fifth semester, aims to produce creative projects according to industry production and quality standards while developing team work skills. Hoaxes produced in this class have already garnered attention, amongst others aΒ video of a penguin having escaped the Montreal BiodΓ΄me.
If you guessed “fake” — pat yourself on the back. We cannot wait for next year’s efforts.
In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isnβt really about controlling guns at all; itβs about controlling us. Find out more HERE.
















































































































Comments (223)
dcshadows
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:22amBreaking News – Big Bird has put a hit on all Humans. He has reached out to the New Big Bird Party to hit all MF’ers that look Human. He has charged the NBBP to kill all babies first so Humans will stop reproducing.
Glad President Barack Obama is in Big Bird’s corner. The Dep. of Justice will just look the other way.
This is only the beginning – BEWARE!!!
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CABERNETQHS
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:40amActually, it’s Obama’s fault. He recently declared a war on eagles…remember the indian tribe somewhere that can kill them for their body parts. Should have seen this one coming.
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Objectivist_John_Galt
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:27am“The police did not get a report about an attempted abduction” Really?? Do they really think someone was going to call in a police report on a bird attempting to abduct a child? Probably would have arrested the caller for pranking the police dept. and had them tested for drug use.
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decendentof56
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:51amOh s#*t is the same in French as in English…who would have guessed.
Uh…….back to the video. It certainly looks real to me. It would be pure speculation as to how long the wingspan is on that bird. It is one big bird, for sure. You don’t want to tangle with those talons.
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Gold Coin & Economic News
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:52amEagles should be banned, if they can do this they are a danger to society. Where is Obama when you need him? Why doesn’t he do something about this?
http://www.isthatbaloney.com/alex-jones-give-prophetic-warning-about-gun-control-laws-and-comments-on-fake-obama-crying/
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Baddoggy
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 12:57pmThe great American diet saved that kid. He was too damn fat for the Eagle to take! Tell Michelle to shut her trap! Tell Bloomburg that extra soft drinks save a baby!!
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UNALIEN
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 1:24pmthis is clearly an allegory..
Montreal represents socialism,
the Eagle, the State,
the golden. the monetary system,
the infant the future generations…
The scene represent the NeoKeynesian Statist monopoly subverting freedom and liberty by controlling liberty and its purposeful enslavement and capture of our future…
debrarae
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 2:02pmActually the video is real. There have been records of birds of pray (eagles included) going after what they thought to be ‘unintended’ children, since before the 70′s. My brother upon hearing of this at South Hills Elementary School in Texas ..would often taunt me (as I was extremely small for my age) that the birds would come for me if I didn’t ‘watch’ out.
But yet Obama has declared war on the Eagles (so as to respect the rights of American Indians), and continues to taunt Catholics. Go Figure.
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Bloody Sam
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 2:22pmYeah…this is about as real as the video of that stunt plane losing a wing and being landed unscathed.
I call BS on this one.
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apexmoon
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 3:02pm@BADDOGGY
He’s Canadian not American
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James
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 4:21pmI believe,An Eagle stole my first wife.We never did find her.
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wordsofwisdom
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 4:36pmFake. There is no shadow for the kid but a shadow of the eagle without the kid can be seen even though the bird is holding the kid. Clearly a bad fake just like Obama, a fake!
βWalkβs Like a Duckβ http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_11352998 just spreading the truth around.
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Joanne
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 5:48pm@UNALIEN…. VERY good analogy!! LOL
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4kidsandacat
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 6:27pmYou guys are cracking me up! Thank goodness the kid was ok though, but really slow reaction from mom there, I would have been chucking stuff at that eagle if it had my kid!
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WATER-THE-TREE
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 8:21pmAlmost as good as BAH RAHC has put on this country!
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nzkiwi
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 8:48pmI came to this story after the update, so the secret was out already.
I have to be honest and say that I looked at the video several times and I would have been fooled.
That was a very clever piece of work.
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arckangjell
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 3:46pmto all hey hey hey I dont recall any eagles abducting babies when Bush was in office what the crap is this country coming to! Did anyone notice whether or not the eagle had a cigerette in its beek or not?
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jaylew
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 7:09pmWell since we do most of Canada’s heavy lifting around the world it is nice to see their college students get to play so.
I would like to see a fake video of the Canadian Health Care system actually scheduling a MRI or CT Scan less than 8 weeks from the day it is prescribed.
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urrybr
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:22amThe wingspan of the eagle looks a bit big. A golden eagle’s wingspan is about six feet. That one looks about eight to ten. I think it’s a phony.
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COFemale
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:13amThe wing span of an eagle can be anywhere from 5.9 to 7.5 feet. Looking at one wing that is slightly outstretched it appears close to 3.5 ft. You might want to do some research before you emphatically declare something is fake because an eagles wing span looks to you as 8-10 ft. You either have bad eyesight or poor judgment of distance.
What bothers me is the woman never once looked up. You would think something that big would catch your eye and you’d run like hell towards your child, but during the whole snatch and grab she remained oblivious to what was happening. For this reaction alone, I think it is fake.
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RDavis49
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:30amIn your effort to educate everyone here and impress us with what you think you know, you have missed the point of the video…… Why can’t people like you just be human instead of always trying to analyze and impress others?
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libsrparasites
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:39amGive cofemale a break.
The user name states this heshe is half female and half male.
That in itself is impressive!
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98Bravo
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:49am@COFemale The woman did look up, when the film is slowed down it looks like it took a long time, but it was only 2 seconds or less in “real time”.. and you can hear someone else yelling “hey, hey” in the background besides this guy saying “oh ****”, so you have 2 others who were aware of the situation.
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needawhitepresident
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:52amTell me again how someone would fake this? How would they show the baby being lifted into the air and DROPPED onto the ground from around four feet? What mother would allow anyone to do such a thing to her child? You guys who think someone faked this are ridiculous!
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paperpushermj
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 12:10pmThe Child was reported as unhurt so I ask what was the Eagles Talons digging into that allowed the bird to lift the child up so many feet off the ground?
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SistaTriscuit
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 1:17pmPaperPusher, if you notice, the child has a very thick, puffy winter coat on. The eagle had a hold of him, from looking at the vid in slow-mo, only by the right shoulder. It also looked it didn’t have a hold of much, it probably just got a bit of the shoulder area of the coat.
I live in northwestern WY. I have personally seen an eagle take a fawn. Yes, literally TAKE a fawn. He didn’t just take it down, he picked it up and carried it off, the fawn struggled, the eagle dropped it and it must’ve broken the fawn’s back because the eagle circled around, swooped down and picked it up and flew off with it hanging limp from his talons. I also had one attempt to snatch my Blue Heeler pup when she was about 6 months old, and at 6 months old they aren’t particularly small. Considering that Mongolian hunters use eagles as birds of prey to take down game and fur animals, including wolves, I don’t know why on earth people would find this video so hard to believe.
Honestly, if an eagle attempted to snatch my baby, I would not call the police and report it. People using that as some sort of logic behind the possibility of it being faked just seems asinine to me.
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Truthbeliever2
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 3:30pmCOFEMALE, You might want to look up the definition of emphatically. LOL
Just for the record. I believe its real.
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paperpushermj
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 8:14pm@SISTATRISCUIT
Thanks I see what you where speaking to.
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Jimster123
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:22amNo doubt about it! Joe Biden must now head up a “task force” to rid the world of golden eagles!! Ban the birds, now; Lets ban everything as a matter of fact!!! Ban it, ban it, BAN IT!
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LobsterBoy
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:53amBan the bannings?
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integrican
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 1:10pmWind farms are doing a hell of a job killing raptors of all stripes, bats too.
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mrunner
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 2:11pmMake the park an “Eagle Free Zone”?
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4kidsandacat
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 2:42pmI bet if the UN passed a resolution condemning…no wait, STRONGLY condemning, the actions of the eagle, this would never happen again.
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Blazen420
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:16amLook real to me. An eagle can carry away 30-40 lbs no problem.
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JQuentinEvermann
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:24amWe need to ban eagles! How far will this go before we understand how dangerous eagles are?
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raptor45
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:37amNo they can’t carry away that much. They’re not cargo planes for pete’s sake.
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CABERNETQHS
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:42amLooked real. Suppose it’s possible. Why was the baby sitting so far from the mother??? Kind of odd.
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Kumo
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:37amTypo there on the baby’s relative, it looks like his Father. Look closely at the video and you will see a man rather than a woman standing next to the stroller.
@cabernetqhs. My question exactly. Looks like dad was at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from his kid. Absolutely careless on his part. I am never out of an arms reach of my 4-month-old daughter out in public, there are just too many uncertainties that could happen.
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weareskrewed
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:15amIf this video is real; I think the the only thing that saved him/ her is his/ her clothing. It probably ripped from the force of the bird’s velocity + the weight. It also probably prevented any flesh damage; I believe their claws are several inches long ? I think warmer weather + lighter clothing would have meant a very bad result.
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The_Sum_Total_Of_Progressivism_Is_Epic_Failure
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:20amThis looks real to me, those birds are huge. Awesome video regardless
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YouCantExplainThat
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:22amThis is exactly what happened to my dog. We were up in the mountains, it was cold, so he had a cute little coat on, and then out of nowhere a vulture swooped down, grabbed it up. I freaked, ran after it, and then my dog fell from about 10 feet up. His coat was all ripped up, and he was fine.
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Battle1925
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 12:55pmI would be scared if I was picked up by a eagle
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Twobyfour
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 1:02pmThat’s an odd behavior for a vulture…. You sure about the species?
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loafer4952
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:13amSome thing wrong here. If the eagle would have picked the baby up. He would have had engeries from the claws on the eagle. He would have been in pain and some marks.
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Shamrock241
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:23amNo it’s just like the poster before you wrote, the fact that the child had on a thick winter coat protected him from serious injury.
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RightUnite
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:35am@SHAMROCK, have you seen their talons?? That little coat he was wearing would not have protected him from those talons.
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starman70
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:07am@ RIGHTUNITE:
If the eagle was able only to grab fabric and it tore loose, the toddler wouldn’t have any injuries.
Mothers, here is an example of why you should keep your babies close at all times.
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AngryK9
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 1:29pmLoafer. Do you mean injuries? I think the eagle was probable just being very careful. They’re quite smart you know.
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ZAP
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:09amSmoke and mirrors just like our government
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Cesium
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 3:01pmExactly how I feel when I read an ancient religious text describing a breach of physical law! you must be an atheist too! This is video evidence for an eagle picking up the kid but you quickly dismiss it as likely being fake because you aren’t sure! bravo! We have a rare critical thinker here on the blaze. So, when did you realize the bible was full of crap too?
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ChiefGeorge
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:09amDefinitely real! The flight in is perfect, wing tuck for dive speed then a perfect flare for stopping. It was definitely at it full lifting capacity and exceeded it.
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ccangel01
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 2:24pmThe baby was wearing a “bird” hat, the eagle probley thought he was a bird also.
Parents need to make sure the child does not wear that hat again.
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AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:06amShe looked like a zebra sheep. He looked like elmo. Eagle shows curiousness to be sure. Smart big mean king hawk. Glad we have cameras. A chaotic world full of hawks.
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stopprintn
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:59amTen more years and this wont be a problem. The bird wacking wind mills will take care of these evil birds. It’s ok though, rabit hunting will be great.
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Lawyer629
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:12amLol @ “rabit”.
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stopprintn
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:36amgood eye…..lol
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Mary J 0604
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:56amQuick!!!!! Somebody needs to get Biden on a task force for Eagle control!! :P
(Biden couldn’t run a task force to control crayons in a pre-school.)
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GENEPAGLIARI
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:04amNor could he find a can of beer in a six-pack. No, on second thought he could find em all, no problem.
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Duckhead
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:06amYES HE COULD! barely.
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AngusKhan
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:15amBut he does have a big BEAK, so that gives him instant credibility!
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biohazard23
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:24amBiden would eat the crayons right along with the glue. Just sayin’.
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Looking_Up
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:55amThe kid probably just looked like a Hobbit from that height.
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smokey888x2
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:53amHere comes the LIBERALS ….. WITH GUNS, to kill them there eagles or beat’m over the head with rolled up copies of the constitution!!
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Cavallo
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:59amThe only thing liberals use the Constitution for is to wipe their rears with.
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Chango
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:01amMan you are a Moron
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Zipit
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:09amSomeone call the President! This is another example of a botched post berth abortion by an unqualified raptor!
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Cesium
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 2:57pm@smokey ?????!?! Which liberals? the vegans, vegetarians, or PETA members?
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goldmind
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:50amA few pounds lighter, and this child would have been a meal.
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NOT A CRAZY
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:00amThat was a close one. I have seen chicken hawks (red tail hawks) do the same thing to little dogs.
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Inlightofthings
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:29amNOT A CRAZY:
Thought for sure with that Avatar you’d suggest the local municipality post signs:
Attention Golden Eagles…Eat Mor Chikin
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NOT A CRAZY
Posted on December 20, 2012 at 12:55amThe sign should say: Eagles are great, they taste just like Chikin.
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AngusKhan
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:49amOn a related note: Cheaper Than Dirt has just announced that they will NO LONGER sell bird feeders, bird seed, or anything related to scary eagles. They are also reviewing their internal policies to ensure that none of their soon to be laid-off employees wear anything from American Eagle in the work place!
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Mary J 0604
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:02amHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! That was good!! lol
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NOT A CRAZY
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:05amFunny, if it wasn’t so true! I was just going through my emails and CTD was sending out Days of Christmas emails up until last Friday advertising their guns and then they pulled their little stunt. They might as well never send me another one at this point. Time to unsubscribe.
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kam123
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:54amMy states pension fund manager has just announced they are divesting all of their holdings from Audobon and any other birds of prey supporters ; )
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AngusKhan
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:47amThe President will be holding a press conference on this shortly, announcing a ban on all Eagles and an outright changing of the American bird to the Vulture (who would never attack an inncocent child, they would just snatch up the decaying pieces after they were already dead…kind of what it will be like with politicians picking at the pieces of our decaying country).
Also, he has ordered a Task Force lead by bird enthusiast Joe Biden to get to the bottom of this!
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BobtheMoron
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:46amWatched it slo-mo seems real, but I’m no expert.
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horsehockey
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:45amLooks real, eagles have been known to be a danger to small animals/humans.
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forthepeople
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:41amLook real , and there reaction is genuine . If planed , edited there surely be more dialog . Thats said the eagle cry was added in .
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momrules
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:40amWell it sure looked real to me. Why not? Big, big bird, small, moving prey to the eagle.
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Mandors
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:39amThat’s not a golden eagle. The silvery white on the ends of its wings shows it’s a different bird.
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nonofmybiznez
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:02amCould have been an imature baldy
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Zipit
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:20amI think your right Biz! Looks like a young bald.
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BostonHarold
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 4:41pmCorrectomundo sir…good eye…notice the protruding ‘knuckles’ on the wings and the white and black markings. That’s no Golden Eagle. The hoaxers spliced in video of an Osprey grabbing a fish. A common sight in bodies of water.
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Zipit
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 11:44pmBoston! Not an Osprey! The shape of the birds wings while soaring shows that it’s an eagle! And, Osprey almost always dive into the water with their wings tucked in by their side when fishing!
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rahlquist
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:38amQUICK! Better ban eagles they are trying to kill kids!
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UNALIEN
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:38amlooks real,,
we need to ban children’s hats with eyes now,,,
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UNALIEN
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:52amlooks like the Eagle attacked form the back,, the kids hats eyes were pointed forward
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nonofmybiznez
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:03amThey don’t usually attack something that is facing them.
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NOT A CRAZY
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:11amIf you watch the video the bird comes from the left and then circles around and attacks. It could very easily have seen the eyes. We need to go to heart of the problem here though, little children…they must be banned. That way we can kill two birds with one stone since B.O. and his czars are worried about over populating their Mother Gaia anyway.
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searching for the Truth
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:37amI would say – yes, because I have known them to swoop down on other objects as well.
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searching for the Truth
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 4:01pmHowever, I repent of having agreement in it – in Jesus Name !
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Pablo
Posted on December 19, 2012 at 9:35amThe Toronto Star is reporting that police in Montreal say that no one has called in a report about the alleged attempted abduction.
Are they supposed to arrest the eagle for attempted kidnapping or attempted murder?
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