Australia eagle tries to carry off young boy

Tuesday, July 12, 2016, 9:49 AM - Australia's wedge-tailed eagle may look regal and majestic, but it seems they can be a little touchy when confronted with an audience.

The one in the photo below, shot by photographer Chris O'Connell and posted to Instagram, was part of a wildlife show at Alice Springs Desert Park in Australia's Northern Territory on Wednesday. The boy in the green hoodie, O'Connell says, was pulling the hoodie's zipper up and down, which O'Connell said did not sit well with the bird.

"For some reason the Wedge Tailed Eagle did not like it and instead of flying over to the log he is meant to for a photo opportunity he flew straight at the young boy and attacked him," O'Connell wrote on Instagram.

The BBC reports several witnesses say the eagle tried to actually lift the boy off the ground, as it would small prey.

Park staff intervened, and the show was cancelled on the spot. The boy was given first aid, and the BBC says he suffered a "superficial" cut to the face.

"Those talons are huge he was a very lucky young boy," O'Connell says.

Park staff acknowledged the incident in a statement provided to NT News.

"A thorough investigation regarding the circumstances behind this incident is under way and the eagle will be removed from the show while this investigation is ongoing," the statement says.

The Australia Zoo says wedge-tail eagles can grow to a wingspan of up to 2.7 m, and are the country's largest bird of prey. They are a protected species in all states.

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SOURCES: Instagram | BBC | NT News | Australia Zoo