A Mother Goose’s Persistent and Brave Attack on an Eagle Helps Her Gosling Escape to Safety.
(Video: Latest Sightings).
Kyle Branch, a wildlife expert at Classic Zambia Safaris, recorded a confrontation between a mother goose and an eagle in the Lower Zambezi National Park, as reported by Latest Sightings on July 2nd. While enjoying a boat tour, Branch spotted a fish eagle hovering above the water’s surface. Fish eagles typically do this before swooping down to catch prey, but this time the eagle was not targeting any fish. Instead, it spotted a young Egyptian goose and identified it as the perfect target for a quick and easy meal.
The gosling seemed to sense the danger before the attack and hurriedly dove into the water to avoid being caught. This is a common self-defense behavior among various waterfowl species. The young goose surprised onlookers by displaying such behavior at such a young age, but its defense was ultimately ineffective. The eagle swooped down, quickly grasping the gosling with its sharp talons and flew off.
The dramatic rescue of the gosling by its mother.
The feathers of the African fish eagle can become soaked after catching prey underwater. They can still fly, but it becomes more difficult, so they often head to the nearest dry land to dry off. This gave the mother goose a chance to fight back and reclaim her young. As if anticipating the eagle’s next move, both the mother goose and the eagle arrived at the dry land simultaneously and stared at each other. The eagle appeared tired, trying to regulate its breathing while holding the gosling tightly in its talons. The mother goose acted swiftly. Although much smaller than the predator, she bravely spread her wings to appear larger.
The situation reversed as the eagle became too exhausted to fly away, prompting the mother goose to charge at it. Forced to defend itself, the eagle rose to confront the goose mid-air. The mother goose struck it a second time, causing the eagle to become distracted and loosen its grip on the gosling. The young goose seized the opportunity to escape towards the water.
To ensure her gosling’s safe escape, the mother goose sought to divert the eagle’s attention. The eagle did not look back even once. Once she was sure her young was safe, the mother goose quickly took off, leaving the eagle bewildered by the sudden disappearance of its prey.
