A youngster in attendance at a wildlife show in Australia found himself the target of an ornery eagle that swooped down and attempted to carry him away!
According to the boy's mother, the terrifying attack may have been caused by a nearby member of the audience playing with the zipper of his jacket.
She theorized that this drew the attention of the animal, which then flew directly at the boy from about 50 feet away.
Perhaps thinking it had spotted an easy meal, the tenacious eagle grasped at the child's head and sweatshirt hood with its ferocious talons.
Fortunately, the screaming boy was either too heavy or too troublesome for the eagle to complete its capture.
Beyond the trauma of being attacked by an eagle, the boy thankfully only suffered minor injuries from the unsettling event.
Officials at the Alice Springs Desert Park are investigating the incident and have 'suspended' the eagle from future wildlife shows until it can be determined what happened.
Presumably the young boy learned a valuable lesson about always being vigilant around wild animals, especially performing eagles with a propensity to improvise.
Source: BBC News