A crazy wildlife encounter happened Nov. 19 when a bald eagle dropped a cat onto the car of a North Carolina resident driving on the highway. The impact from the animal caused the driver’s windshield to shatter and left a large hole in the glass. This bizarre encounter happened in Swain County on U.S. Route 74, and the driver was left confused, but unharmed.
There were reports from people who believe they saw the cat fighting for its life while in the air, and the feline died on impact with the car. This information adds to the tragedy of this wildlife encounter.
Random events like these could prove as massive threats to new drivers and adds to the list of dangers that come with driving a car,
Sophomore Camila Barrera said, “I think it could be dangerous because the impact could scare the driver and cause unnecessary fear to the point where they might not want to drive anymore. The shock from an event like that happening can lead to other accidents if the driver swerves or loses control and it’s a very dangerous situation that could lead to many injuries.”
Barrera highlighted the dangers that incidents like this could have on drivers, especially inexperienced ones. Driving by itself is a dangerous activity that results in many yearly crashes, so adding projectile cats to the mix is a very hazardous and unexpected variable.
“I would not let my cat go outside. If I was taking it out I would put it on a leash because it’s dangerous. Especially after hearing about the eagle incident, I definitely wouldn’t want my cat outside by itself. It’s such a bizarre incident and for such a small creature, I wouldn’t risk it,” said Barrera.
Many people, including Barrera, are concerned about the safety of other animals. The incident is causing more people to take precautions when it comes to their small pets that could easily be snagged by predators.
Incidents like these are a good reminder for pet owners to have safety precautions in place to protect their pets.
