Dutch police are training eagles for war on illegal drones

Drones become more popular, but that increased popularity also means law enforcement has to think of new ways to bring them down should they be used for illegitimate causes.

Rather than shooting them down or challenging them with drones of their own, the Dutch police have turned to a more experienced hands – or, rather, talons – in the form of eagles.

That right, the Dutch National Police have partnered with a bird training company called Guard From Above to use the birds of prey to hunt down the miscreant flying machines. And it’s kind of awesome:

There’s something sweetly sadistic about seeing a natural predator doing what it does best against one of humanities most popular recent technologies. It also just seems a lot more efficient than trying to have another drone operator try to catch a drone him or herself.

But don’t just take my word for it – watch the video above. It’s in Dutch, but it’s still worth watching even if you don’t understand.

➤ Politie zet roofvogels in om vijandige drones uit de lucht te halen [YouTube via BuzzFeed]