Drones pose a significant privacy and safety risk. You wouldn’t want one hovering over your backyard recording your activities just like the government won’t like a drone recording footage near its sensitive installations. The need for anti-drone equipment is greater than ever, and while people have come up with lasers, special ammunition and even drones with nets to capture rogue drones, the Dutch police are going with a much simpler idea: using eagles to neutralize drones.
Police in The Netherlands has partnered with a raptor training company called Guard From Above to see if these majestic birds of prey can be safely used to neutralize drones.
A video demonstration shows an eagle taking out what appears to be a DJI Phantom drone out of the air. It doesn’t make it clear though how dangerous this can prove for the birds since drones do have rotating blades which can prove to be potentially harmful to the birds.
The eagle is a natural winner at neutralizing its prey as its talons are quite sharp with a grip that’s strong enough to crush bones. One of the handlers in the video says that the scales on the eagle’s feet and legs keep them safe from the rotating props but does hint at the possibility of creating extra protection for them to ensure that the eagles are not hurt as they pick off rogue drones effortlessly.