Dutch police are training eagles to snatch rogue drones from the sky during emergencies, in the latest effort to combat unsafe drone use. In a partnership with “raptor training company” Guard From Above, the Dutch National Police began the trial as an alternative to using nets to bring unwanted drones down. “There are situations where drones cannot fly … almost always related to safety,” said Mark Wiebes, innovation manager of the National Unit of the police.
“There is a case where an air ambulance would land but could not because someone out there flew a drone.”You can also imagine that people want to take beautiful pictures of an event and fly a drone above the crowd. If that drone falls from the sky, it can be dangerous for the people below.” As a solution, the eagles have been trained to see the drone as prey, catching it and taking it to a safe area, police said.
Dutch police have also been researching other methods of combating drones, including trying to take over the drone’s systems or using safety nets to bring them out of the sky. Police said they would continue tests for a few months before deciding whether to deploy the eagles full-time.
