Driver in North Carolina Says Bald Eagle Dropped Cat Through Windshield

Sometimes the most unexpected things happen on the road. Last week in Swain County, North Carolina, a driver traveling on U.S. Route 74 called 911 after a bald eagle dropped a cat directly through her windshield.

According to the 911 recording, the driver told the dispatcher that the animal was already dead when it struck the car.

Fox News reported that the woman phoned emergency services on Wednesday morning, explaining that the eagle had released the cat onto the passenger side of her windshield near Bryson City, about 65 miles southwest of Asheville. It’s unclear whether the bird lost its grip or dropped the animal on purpose.

“You may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield,” the driver said during the call. “It absolutely shattered my windshield.”

The dispatcher confirmed what she was describing, and the driver added that another person witnessed the cat falling from the sky. When asked whether the animal was alive, she said it was not.

Kendrick Weeks of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission explained that the eagle may have picked up the cat after it was already dead—possibly roadkill. While bald eagles can hunt prey of that size, he noted it would have been easier for the bird if the animal was already deceased. Bald eagles are known to scavenge as part of their natural behavior.