Brown hare. Photo by Smudge 9000.
Hares and eagles are sworn enemies. Hares are peaceful, fluffy, herbivorous mammals. Eagles are fierce, feathery, carnivorous birds. In the grand scheme of things, eagles outmatch hares because they can fly and move faster and have sharp, gripping talons.
But even though hares lack armor, they are not without their own defense mechanisms.
When faced with large bird of prey on farmland in the English county of Lincolnshire, European hares (also known as brown hares) have seemingly supernatural reactions.
As the hawk zooms in for the kill, some of the hares leap OVER the eagle, narrowly avoiding the eagle’s talon-tipped missile strike.
We’re pretty amazed that a small, furry hare can outmaneuver one of these massive predatory birds.
Here’s another incredible clip of a rabbit fighting off a raptor:
Sometimes, being big and powerful can be more detrimental than being small and agile.
Watch more amazing rabbit footage below:
