A flight of wedge-tailed eagles has been causing a fair amount of disquiet down the Channel south of Hobart. A dog-owning coupe report that the eagles have been casting hungry eyes on their beloved toy poodle pair.
The Birches Bay residents contacted Craig Webb at the Raptor Refuge at Kettering for advice on how to keep their pooches safe, and he in turn referred the pressing matter to wildlife biologist Nick Mooney, an eagle expert with some wise words about both eagles and keeping dogs safe from attack.
The couple said two and sometimes three eagles had been “hunting” their toy poodles.
A neighbour had been feeding the eagles with roadkill and the problem started once the neighbour moved and the eagles found themselves without this steady source of food. Their attention turned to the poodles.
“The eagles have seriously increased their hunting, so much so we can’t let the dogs outside at any time without one of us checking the sky and the surrounding trees,” the couple wrote. “They also hunt our dogs when my husband takes them for a walk on a lead by flying from tree to tree and swooping down. We feel it’s only a matter of time before the eagles have a poodle dinner.”
Mooney replied the eagles did indeed sometimes take small dogs, if they could manage a surprise attack. He said he also knew of ongoing wars between large dogs and wedgies over carrion and told a story of a farmer friend finding his blue heeler hiding from an eagle under the farmer’s ute. The eagle was pacing around, after chasing the dog off a dead wallaby.
Eagles might not only be looking for a quick meal in their interaction with dogs. “Often male eagles put on a display to impress females. They might do uncharacteristic things such as attacking things they wouldn’t normally,” said Mooney.
There was also the issue of young males from the previous breeding season starting to have to fend for themselves when the parents had stopped feeding them. “Some get desperate because the parents have often stopped feeding them,” Mooney added. “They might hang about with them but increasingly they get shunned because the next breeding season is coming.”
Mooney suggested dog owners displayed aggressive behaviour towards eagles if they threatened their dogs.
“Keep something loud handy. A hand-held fog horn – not expensive at boat shops – works. It’s important the eagles learn you are bad news. Teach them a bit of fear. Bang on a bucket, anything to stir them along. It can work surprisingly well since everything they do involves risk assessment.”
Mooney also advocated using cages to protect pets: “In these days of easily available netting I reckon it’s a great idea and small dogs seem to like the security.”
Mooney urged property owners with eagle problems to show patience and tolerance and not to resort to what he described as drastic action. This can involve shooting eagles, which is an illegal act.