Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a … ja, no, it was the first one hey, and now it’s flying off with your puppy in its clutches.

Durban’s western suburbs are under aerial attack from eagles, who are preying on the area’s cat and small canine population. One such victim was the late Buttercup, with this account by owner Vivianne Sneddon on News24:

It was terrible. I left her and the other dogs alone for five minutes. When I came back Chester [a boerboel] and Belle [another Maltese] were sitting quietly together. Buttercup was lying bleeding under the tree.”

She said that the talons from the eagle had pierced the right side of Buttercup, who died in her arms before she could get the dog to the vet.

This is not the first such attack says Sneddon, with Belle having also been attacked from above.

Whilst pet owners in the area are at a loss, some are managing to remain grounded. Corrina van Niekerk had her kitten and Jack Russell attacked by an eagle, but is wary of any drastic steps:

It’s our fault for building in the area. It was their home first. I would certainly never advocate for moving the eagles. They are magnificent creatures…

It never occurred to us that they would see our pets as food.

There are believed to be 52 breeding pairs of crowned eagles in the greater Durban area, preying primarily on the hadeda. This alone should deter those seeking to relocate the eagles, as anyone who has woken up to a flock of hadedas on the lawn at 6AM can attest to.

[source:news24]