A driver in western North Carolina experienced a bizarre incident when a cat crashed into her vehicle’s windshield. The motorist on U.S. Route 74 in Swain County near Bryson City reported the event to emergency services, describing how a bald eagle dropped the cat through her windshield. The unnamed driver recounted the strange occurrence on a recorded 911 call, noting that the feline’s impact shattered her windshield.
Bald eagles and golden eagles can carry several pounds depending on wind resistance. A study in Nature explored how much weight an eagle could carry, finding they can only lift a fraction of their own weight. Researchers strapped weights to a trained golden eagle and measured its flight distance, revealing the bird could fly easily with two-pound weights but struggled with four-pound weights. It couldn’t fly past 14 yards when carrying an eight-pound weight.
The incident highlights how raptors might pick up small animals but struggle to carry them, potentially dropping them from a dangerous height. In Austin, construction workers heard a dog crying and saw a hawk-like raptor drop a one-pound chihuahua puppy. The workers rushed the puppy to emergency vet, where it received treatment for puncture wounds before being placed with a foster family.