Drone hunting: Dutch police train eagles to catch drones in the sky
The Dutch National Police is training eagles to capture drones used by criminals and terrorists in controlled areas. The police, the counter-terrorism agency NCTB and the ministries of justice and defense are working on a series of measures to combat drones.
Mark Wiebes, Innovation Director for the National Police Unit, says that this use of drones is becoming more common, with people using them to take photos, for example. But they can be dangerous if they fall out of the sky onto people. Drones with built-in cameras also pose privacy risks.
“The bird sees the drone as prey and takes it to a safe place, a place where there are no other birds or people,” Weibes said. “That’s what we’re using in this project.”
"Anyone can have a drone in their possession, including people who want to misuse it ," said police spokesman Michel Baeten. "It is a multifunctional device and that means an attack can also be launched with it."
The eagles come from the Denmark-based raptor training company Guard From Above, which tests the intelligence and accuracy of the raptors. This means they will be well-cared for and comfortable with their handlers.
Eagles are being trained to spot and catch quadcopters, which are proving increasingly popular.
However, there is an issue as an eagle that goes to catch a drone can get injured. The multiple propellers of each drone spin very fast and are pointed upwards, meaning they could shred the eagle's leg or talons. In order to prevent this, there is a possibility that eagles wear protective gear while patrolling the skies for drones.
