Hawk drops snake on family picnic in Melbourne
A video of a hawk dropping a snake on a barbecue picnic lunch in Melbourne has gone viral, but some experts have questioned the legitimacy of the footage.
The video, which you can view above, was originally posted on Monday by a YouTube user called Douglas Wong. The footage shows a family lunching by the Yarra River. One family member spots a hawk that flies over a river and appears to pick up a snake. It holds the creature in its claws before heading back over and dropping it on the family.
In the description box that was posted with the video, Mr Wong wrote, “So funny. Bird dropped snake on my uncle last weekend. Scary.”
The video has since become an internet sensation, being viewed over 400,000 times, but some experts have gone on to question the legitimacy of the footage.
Emma Goldstone, from Melbourne creative agency Jumbla, told Fairfax, “The professional consensus seems to be that, no, it's not real. The snake is massive in the last shot, but when the bird supposedly picks it up, you can't even see it. The camera work is too good. Why would a snake be hanging out in short grass in winter?”
Sean Dooley, the editor of Australian Birdlife magazine, added, “They rarely take snakes and I would be surprised that a young bird would have that skill. Even more damning is that the silver gull in the foreground does not move an inch as the eagle approaches to catch the snake or when it drops it. There is no way a gull wouldn't react to a huge predator swooping in like that.”
After watching the video, what’s your take? Do you think it's legitimate footage, or is it a cleverly edited fake? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
Video credit: YouTube / Douglas Wong
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