This is the horrifying an eight-year-old girl was attacked by a golden eagle after the bird mistook her for its prey during a display.
Footage shows the hunting bird swooping on the child as shocked spectators watched on at a festival in the Issyk-Kul region of Central Asia’s Kyrgyzstan.
Handlers, who had been demonstrating traditional eagle hunting skills, can be seen rushing over to free the girl after the eagle, with a wingspan of more than 6ft, clamped down on her with its talons.
Horrifying footage captures the moment an eight-year-old girl was attacked by a golden eagle after the bird mistook her for its prey during a display
Video shows the hunting bird swooping on the child as shocked spectators watched on at a festival in the Issyk-Kul region of Central Asia’s Kyrgyzstan
Handlers, who had been demonstrating traditional eagle hunting skills, can be seen rushing over to free the girl after the eagle, with a wingspan of more than 6ft, clamped down on her with its talons
The clip shows the girl being dragged away from the predator. She was later taken to hospital with a badly scratched back.
At the beginning of the video, the girl could be seen darting from the spectator area.
The bird then targeted the girl believing her to be the prey it was supposed to catch during the performance.
Amid chaotic scenes, the bird’s handler rushes over to free the child from the creature’s giant claws. A hunter on horse back also joins the rescue mission.
The clip shows the girl being dragged away from the predator. She was later taken to hospital with a badly scratched back
Amid chaotic scenes, the bird’s handler rushes over to free the child from the creature’s giant claws. A hunter on horse back also joins the rescue mission
The bird targeted the girl believing her to be the prey it was supposed to catch during the performance
The clip shows some of the scratches the bird left on the girl’s arms. She was taken to hospital for treatment and is now recovered
The girl was taken back to her mother who was also watching the performance at the local festival, called Teskey Zheek.
Zhenishkul Sukaeva, chief doctor at Tonsky regional hospital, said that the child’s back was badly scratched.
She needed ‘several stitches’, received head injuries and was left ‘shocked and distressed’.
The handlers had been demonstrating traditional eagle hunting skills in the mountainous former Soviet republic in Central Asia.