Durban pet owners warned to be vigilant as eagles find a taste for furbabies

Pet owners have been warned to be vigilant, especially for smaller animals, after a number of crowned eagle attacks in the greater Durban area, reports Northglen News.

Although Sunningdale’s Jason Arnold specialises in reptiles and snake rescues, the local resident said he had come across a number of incidents where crowned eagles have mistakenly targeted smaller pets.

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“They also don’t hunt pets, but are usually looking for food. I just would like to warn residents in the north Durban area and greater Durban area to be vigilant with their pets, especially the smaller ones. Try and not have them out in wide open spaces during the day when the attacks have occurred,” he said.

Ben Hoffman of Raptor Rescue concurred with Arnold, saying crowned eagles did not hunt pets but were foraging for food.

“We have via our fences and dogs and habitat modification limited the amount of food available to young eagles. The birds do not look at a pet and know it is a pet, and a young hungry eagle just sees a potential meal.

“However, research conducted by Dr Shane Macphearson from UKZN showed that domestic animals comprised less than 1% of their diet. Chickens were the biggest component of the domestic animals group.

“Most of the food of crowned eagles comprised of dassies, small antelope, and hadedas. Responsible small pet owners should build Catios to keep their cats and small dogs safe, and to stop cats killing urban wildlife,” he said

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