A bald eagle’s talons are among the most formidable tools ever created. They combine the grip strength of a German shepherd’s jaws with the sharpness of a 1.5-inch scalpel, and they’re paired with precision peepers that can spot a fellow eagle soaring 50 miles away.
But it turns out that those frightful talons, perfect for swooping down and snatching unsuspecting prey, aren’t much good at soccer.
Mitchell Barnett, who posted the following clip to Instagram, saw the juvenile eagle in action while passing the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds playing field on Thursday afternoon.
One of the craziest things I’ve seen in a while…walking back from the weight room and this thunderbird lands right in front of me.
A video posted by Mitchell Barnett (@iam_mgbix) on Feb 4, 2016 at 2:58pm PST
“How do I rate its soccer skills? Definitely better than me,” he told the CBC. “To me, it seemed like it was trying to pick up the ball.”
The massive bird soon gave up on the ball and flew to a nearby tree to watch the practice. At the very least, it made one of the world’s most uneventful sports a little more fun to watch.
Related Story Large congregations of eagles are gathering in B.C.’s Fraser Valley
Related Story Wildlife photographer could go to prison for rescuing baby bald eagles