This is a story which supports the reason why many Americans keep their cats inside all the time. There are more predators of domestic cats in America than for example in Europe which is an excellent reason to keep your domestic cat inside. In this instance a bold eagle boldly eats a black domestic cat on the sidewalk in front of the shop in downtown Norfolk, USA. We are not told if the eagle killed the cat but it seems likely. The cat may have been attacked elsewhere in fact.
The picture is slightly disturbing but it is nature at work. Whereas all the other birds in the area flew away when they saw the bald eagle arrive, many humans flocked around to photograph the eagle eating the cat on the sidewalk. Traffic stopped. It caused quite a stir. The shop in the background is Advance Auto Parts. The store manager, Bobby Rafalaski, said that the first call he received on the morning after was from a woman crying and looking for her missing back cat. That’s disturbing too but let’s hope that her cat is not the one in question. However, a cat owner somewhere will probably be very upset to see the photograph. Although we are not sure that the cat was domesticated. It may have been feral.
Bystanders were surprised to see how calm the eagle was and how determined it was to finish the meal. Bobby said that the eagle picked the cat clean over the course of 45 minutes. There’s not much more to say. This is not the first time I have read a story about a cat being attacked and eaten by a bird of prey in America. I recall a dwarf kitten being taken by an eagle or other bird of prey from an apartment balcony.
The story comes from The Virginian-Pilot.
As a European, I think that America is awash with wildlife but that is not the case especially with respect to eagles because the local people were fascinated with seeing the Eagle so it must have been quite a rare sighting. I am actually quite worried about American wildlife because as your population is growing quite rapidly wildlife is being squeezed out and commercial operations such as fracking will damage the environment and have an impact upon wildlife. And American settlements by which I mean housing and industrial estates are very extended because of the space that you have but one day they won’t be so much space.
There’s not many bald eagles where I live; I read that they hang around lakes, anywhere in north America. But very much in Oregon and Washington – where I intend to move to. (Gulp!) I have to rethink this indoor/outdoor cat thing, or invest in feline body armor. That is one capable and serious threat.