Page 59 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL

BALD EAGLE TAKES OUT EGLE’S

DRONE

By Kim Lyons

said, “are the primary drivers of water levels.”
But it’s not all bad news. EGLE said according to a 2019 US Fish
A bald eagle beat the crap out of a government drone and Wildlife Service survey, there are 849 active bald eagle nesting
mapping the shoreline of Lake Michigan, ripping off its propeller sites in Michigan. That’s up from the low point of just 76 sites in
and sending it plunging to the lake’s bottom, according to the the 1970s.
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. So was the avenging bald eagle who attacked the drone some
Yes. The agency operating the drone murdered by an eagle goes kind of climate activist seeking to protect the shoreline from
by the acronym EGLE. further human destruction? Ha ha of course not (maybe) it’s just a
The agency said the incident happened near Escanaba in the bird.
Upper Peninsula area of Michigan last month. EGLE environmental And while EGLE is meant to be a steward of Michigan’s environ-
air quality analyst and drone pilot Hunter King was using the drone ment, it’s worth noting that the department grew out of a 2019
to map shoreline erosion when the drama started. The drone restructuring of the state department of environmental quality.
started spinning as it was headed for home, King said, “like a really That agency, also called DEQ, was widely criticized for its role in
bad rollercoaster ride.” A couple of nearby eagle-watchers said the Flint water crisis. Maybe not a bad idea to keep an eye on
they saw an eagle strike something, later confirmed to be the EGLE them, eagle.
drone. The department said the destroyed drone was a $950 DJI
Why the eagle attacked the drone is still not totally clear, it could Phantom 4 Pro Advanced, and it’s given up the search, leaving the
have been a fight for territory, or the eagle might have thought the drone to its watery grave. A spokesperson said in the agency’s
drone was prey. Whatever the case, it’s not unheard of for eagles lighthearted blog post that EGLE was looking into whether it might
to attack drones. be able to issue a citation to the “rogue eagle” but I think maybe
Over the past several years, erosion and flooding along Lake they should just let sleeping drones lie.
Michigan have led to habitat destruction and disruption to its The lost drone will be replaced with a similar model, and EGLE
ecosystem, as well as property damage. said it may use other designs that make the drones look less like
Scientist Lauren Fry said earlier this year that several factors seagulls, to prevent future attacks.
have contributed to Lake Michigan’s high waters, including warmer Yeah, that bald eagle will definitely be waiting. Q
temperatures across the midwestern US. “Climate factors,” Fry Article courtesy: https://www.theverge.com

World Airnews | September Extra 2020
— 12 —