WTE tries to lift boy Northern Territory

[Philip Veerman <>]

Of course we can’t know. There are possibilities: attempted predation which hardly seems likely of a grown child, though I imagine it could and would have happened sometimes with babies; some reaction to the clothes that the child was wearing - the hood could somehow have reminded it of some food item; some aggression towards the child or their clothes, after all there is nothing overly odd about a bird being aggressive to a person; just one of those random responses to the stresses of captivity that captive and performing animals do at times; simply wanting to perch on the head of the child, maybe combined with getting its talons caught in the fabric...... Even with a photo I think it is sad that reporters should go towards the somewhat unlikely but no doubt more exciting suggestion.

 

Philip

 

From: Baird, Ian [
Sent: Wednesday, 13 July, 2016 3:13 PM
To: Ann Howarth; kym bradley;
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] WTE tries to lift boy Northern Territory [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

 

It would be interesting to hear the views of knowledgeable Aboriginal elders on the likelihood of WTEs taking small children/babies.

Mind you, I was told by a senior CSIRO scientist that Aboriginal advice was initially not heeded when similar questions were asked some years ago with respect to dingo behaviour.

Ian Baird

 

From: Ann Howarth [
Sent: Wednesday, 13 July 2016 2:56 PM
To: kym bradley;
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] WTE tries to lift boy Northern Territory

 

Interesting story, especially as there were other humans close to the boy.

 

I'm not sure whether I have told of my daughter's encounter with a WTE  20 years ago.  A geology student, she was crouching down, examining a rocky outcrop on a property near Nimmitabel when she saw a large shadow come over her and looked up to see a WTE hovering about 2 m above her.  She quickly jumped up waving her arms and shouting at the eagle which flew off.  Later she lamented that she had not had her camera with her.  I should add that she had long auburn hair so we think the eagle probably thought she was a rabbit.

 

Ann Howarth

 

 

 

 

 

From:

Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2016 7:31 AM

To:

Subject: [canberrabirds] WTE tries to lift boy Northern Territory

 

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2016/07/13/03/40/eagle-captured-trying-to-carry-off-boy-during-live-show

Eagle captured trying to carry off Australian boy during live show www.9news.com.au A wedge-tailed eagle has been snapped reportedly trying to carry a boy off during a show at Alice Springs Desert Park.