Social Good Engineering Magazine: GineersNow Social Innovation GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 001 | Page 101

Nature vs. Machine:
This Drone Is No Match
To This Eagle
by Alice Hernandez
Photo Source: Wired
A
ustralia. Home to the famous Ugg(ly) boots,
the multi-talented Hugh Jackman, the
gorgeous Miranda Kerr and… this kickass
eagle? You heard that right! Not only is this
place home to koalas addicted to eating
eucalyptus, it is also home to one annoyed
(but still awesome) Australian wedge-tailed eagle.

It all started when drone operator, Adam
Lancaster, was just minding his own business in a
woodland in greater Melbourne, flying his drone,
when the wild predator appeared. The eagle focused
its attention to the drone and disabled it in less than
10 seconds. Lancaster said that the drone needed
repairing after the attack while the eagle flew away
unscathed.

The attack was so fast to the point that you
couldn’t even see it coming.

Known as the largest bird of prey in Aus-
tralia, this predator is very territorial and attacks he-
licopters and paragliders as well. Now it adds drones
to its must-destroy list since it feels threatened to its
presence.

These animals are more likely to feel
stressed out when a drone is around and tend to
lash out on them, destroying these drones like
horrible bosses. Clearly, nature is not yet ready to
welcome these machines. If people could disguise
these drones as non-threatening looking machines,
then less innocent drones become in danger from
these wild animals.
“Now it adds drones to
its must-destroy list
since it feels threatened
to its presence.”
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