A driver in North Carolina called 911 to report a strange incident where a bald eagle dropped a dead cat onto his windshield as he was driving on Route 74 in Swain County, roughly 105 miles southwest of Asheville.
The details are a bit murky—it’s unclear if the cat fell accidentally or if the eagle intentionally let it go. In his 911 call, the driver remarked, “Believe it or not, a bald eagle dropped a cat through my windshield. It completely shattered my windshield.”
The dispatcher responded with disbelief but a sense of humor, saying, “Okay, I honestly believe you,” followed by a laugh. The driver mentioned another witness who expressed astonishment, stating, “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.” To which the driver thought, “Really?” The dispatcher chuckled, adding, “Oh my god. Let’s see. I’ve heard crazier things.”
The conversation continued with the driver inquiring if the cat was still alive. Unfortunately, it wasn’t; he clarified that it was on the roadside, not in his car. The dispatcher confirmed, “Okay, just to be sure.”
Kendrick Weeks from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission provided some insight into the situation. He suggested the eagle could have grabbed the cat during a traffic accident. “They can take animals as large as cats,” he noted. “It’s much harder for them to catch a live cat than it is to catch a dead cat. They don’t usually target things that aren’t suitable for eating, and scavenging is quite common for bald eagles.”
Weeks also mentioned that eagles might drop their catch for various reasons, like needing to prevent injury to themselves or if they’re being attacked by other birds. In some cases, raptors could drop prey that’s simply too heavy to carry, although this isn’t typically how bald eagles operate.
