Disclaimer: No eagles were harmed in the making of this film — only shell-shocked. Just north of Boulder, Colo., the Stearns Eagle Nest sits in an old cottonwood tree. It’s known by locals for the parent couple it belongs to. Or, at least, there used to be a nest there.
On August 6, it sustained a direct hit from a bolt of lightning that obliterated the birds’ home as the female sat perched on a branch just beside it. After several stunned moments of being knocked unconscious, the eagle stirs, flaps about, and flies away.
Here’s the short version:
Boulder County hopes that the two birds will rebuild their home in the same hunting area, as eagles often tend to do. As a result, on October 15, the county will close a trail at Carolyn Holmberg Preserve to give the eagles time and space to rebuild, the Colorado Sun reported. The trails will remain closed for months if necessary.
The video of this incident was captured by Front Range Eagles‘ wildlife camera. The nonprofit studies eagles in their natural habitats.
Runtime: 2:15 minutes
