SHIGA, Feb 26 (News On Japan) - A drone capturing aerial footage of a waterfall in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, suddenly plunged from the sky after being attacked by a hawk, destroying equipment worth around 100,000 yen but leaving the operator with what he described as 'the best footage.'
The dramatic incident was filmed midair, showing a single hawk gliding majestically with its wings fully spread before the situation took an unexpected turn.
The witness, who said he has visited 6,000 waterfalls nationwide, had been using a drone to film one of the sites in Koka when the accident occurred.
After lifting the drone higher into the sky, the camera was capturing the surrounding natural scenery when, in the next instant, the footage suddenly became distorted.
The witness recalled, “At the time, I thought something brown was coming toward it, and then it crashed. The drone cost just under 100,000 yen, so I thought, ‘This is serious, this is serious.’”
The camera later revealed the clear cause of the crash.
A hawk could be seen locking onto its target from a distance. Spreading its wings and pointing its talons forward, the bird fixed its gaze on the drone before launching a direct attack.
Only a few seconds passed between the moment the hawk appeared and the swift strike that brought the drone down.
Although the drone was destroyed, the operator appeared to take the loss in stride.
“It’s incredible — I got the best footage,” he said. “I’m grateful to the hawk for capturing that video.”
After purchasing a replacement drone, the operator said he had taken precautions to prevent a similar incident.
“I don’t know if it will be effective, but I put shiny stickers on it,” he said.
Source: FNN
