The Dutch Are Training Eagles to Take Down Rogue Drones

The war for the skies is in full swing, with authorities clamping down on drones with registration requirements and high-tech countermeasures — and now one Dutch company is deploying a surprising yet somehow perfectly natural deterrent: eagles.

"Sometimes a low-tech solution for a high-tech problem is more obvious than it seems," said Sjoerd Hoogendoom, founder of Guard From Above, in a press release. "By using these birds' animal instincts, we can offer an effective solution to a new threat."

Guard From Above trains various birds of prey to take down drones the way they might ambush prey or a rival raptor. The powerful, heavy birds can snatch it right out of the air and take it far from anyone the gadget might be threatening.

The Dutch police and counter-terrorist agency NCTB are considering using the program, according to a report from local news channel Nos. With no direct human operator needed and a built-in killer instinct, birds could be a useful asset for handling suspicious drones.

Guard From Above says it is working with scientists to make sure that the birds aren't harmed during a drone encounter.

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http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/dutch-are-training-eagles-take-down-rogue-drones-n508931