Simon Thomsett

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Nov 20 2007 | By: admin

16th Nov 2007

Vero’s is a Verreaux’s Eagle. She is now 13 years old or so. Certainly out of all the birds she is the one that most visitors see up close. She must have sat on the gloved arms of thousands. In this respect she is an extraordinary eagle. Few eagles anywhere in the world would fly to the arm of a complete stranger. None to my knowledge fly (safely) to the arm as those as young as 5 years. School children line up, and one by one don the eagle glove. She patiently waits and then flies in to a gentle landing. Kids are amazed. Vero’s is very gentle. 13 years on, grown-ups come back and say how this experience meant so much to them when they were kids.

There are those to whom she is less kind. Eagles are actually cowards. They do not feel comfortable if there is anyone threatening in a group of visitors. Sometimes I too feel strangely worried by a particular individual but cannot put my finger on just what it is that bothers me. Vero’s knows right away. She’ll stare hard at the person bow down, drop one wing and threaten them. But if they come close she will fly away in panic. I wonder if she would be good as a lie-detector. There are those who she knows she can intimidate. Sometimes she jumps at people just to see if they are on their toes, but doesn’t dream of actually hurting them. In a large group there is invariably one who is wearing an Ipod, cool shades, long baggy trousers, chewing gum, wearing a hat, and walking in an arrogant inner city style. It puts the hairs up the back of my neck, and it puts the feathers up the back of hers. She is happy to attack them as she knows they are more cowardly than she. Usually it is bluff but on 3 occasions she has attacked people and hurt them. Each time though it has been the fault of the victim, they may have dodged in the wrong direction and hit her. I realise with deep concern that this is very bad indeed and quite irresponsible of me to have allowed this to happen. Thankfully each bears scars of which they are very proud. “See these deep wounds, an huge eagle gave those to me”. A great way to break the ice at cocktails.

But out of all the chances in the world this tiny indiscretion is forgivable. By and large she is a sweet bird. She’d never hurt a child. She tip toes around them and understands they are very vulnerable. Just like a large dog she has terrifying potential. But just like a dog she respects everyone, unless she has good reason to think otherwise. Sometimes with big dogs you don’t mind them frightening people. It’s their job.

Vero’s has an odd relationship with my shenzi mutt. This puppy was procured for less than $3 from a cattle boma on the next door ranch. She is typical of her kind, disobedient and shy. But she is also very intelligent and faithful, fearlessly defending the house night and day and ignores the birds who ignore her back. All but Vero’s. When she was small she learnt early on that Vero’s could kill her with one squeeze of one foot. But she would trot past Vero’s and flirt with danger. Vero’s would turn her head upside down in amusement. But when puppy tried to take her food Vero’s would leap out and make a mock attack. Puppy scared witless at first would bolt away. But as this went on puppy got more and more cheeky, taking the game to its limits.

Thud! followed by a squeal. Oh dear, poor puppy I thought as I made my first cup of coffee. Where’s the spade? But on looking outside I saw Vero’s standing next to puppy who was leaping about in good spirits. Vero’s looked annoyed.

Sometimes Vero’s would leap off her perch and whack the puppy, but not hurt her. Puppy has on occasion pushed Veros with her nose off her perch. Now that puppy is nearly full grown these antics have taken on a new twist. Puppy often follows Vero’s and I when we go off together. Puppy gets a bee in her bonnet and runs around in circles in the grass as Vero’s glowers at her, hackles raised. If Vero’s assumes her dignity is being abused she takes off and chases puppy, who has been asking for it. There follows a brief chase, sometimes a thud and a happy dog and disgruntled eagle standing on the ground.

Below are a few pictures that show Vero’s taking off, chasing puppy and nearly catching her. Don’t be alarmed. This happens most days we go out. It is a game they play.

Vero’s taking off with puppy in her sights.

Puppy booting it with Vero’s on her tail.

Puppy making a clever dodge to the left.

Puppy jumps out of reach to the right. Vero’s lands empty handed. In this instance the whole process was repeated, but I had filled the memory card of the camera.

So there you have it. A bizarre eagle/dog relationship. In case one should think this sort of thing never happens in the wild, and it is bad practise to encourage a cross genera relationship then rest assured it does happen in the wild. I have seen Chanting Goshawks, Augur Buzzards, Tawny Eagles and African Hawk Eagles follow Banded and Slender-tailed mongoose. They even sit right next to them looking down holes in the hope that something will get flushed out. Tawny Eagles and Lappet faced Vultures will sometimes follow cheetahs, landing very close and presumably hoping that they will kill something they can eat. Baboons will associate with impala and bushbuck. Some infants even ride of the back of adult bushbuck. Many birds feed alongside cattle or ungulates. Most ungulate herds are mixed species. Terrapins sit on Hippos, water dikkops next to crocodiles, Chanting Goshawks next to Honey Badgers and Vero’s next to puppy.