Bald Eagle and Red Fox Tussling Over Rabbit, San Juan Island National Historical Park, Washington

A bald eagle tried to steal a rabbit from a fox kit, but ended up flying away with both in a prairie at San Juan Island National Historical Park in Washington state. Over an 8-second midair struggle, the eagle managed to release the fox that it accidentally snagged and flew away with the rabbit. Both European rabbits (Oryctolagus cunuculus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were introduced to San Juan Island. The rabbits were introduced to the island in the 1890s by settlers; foxes were introduced occasionally in the 1900s. The European rabbits in particular are considered an invasive species, turning the prairie into an unsustainable barren landscape with their vast burrows. This displaces small native mammals, such as the Townsend's vole. While bald eagles and foxes occasionally hunt rabbits, it is a relatively rare occurrence. Up to 97 percent of an eagle's diet consists of fish and birds; red foxes more commonly eat berries, insects and small mammals, like the vole.

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A bald eagle tried to steal a rabbit from a fox kit, but ended up flying away with both in a prairie at San Juan Island National Historical Park in Washington state. Over an 8-second midair struggle, the eagle managed to release the fox that it accidentally snagged and flew away with the rabbit. Both European rabbits (Oryctolagus cunuculus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were introduced to San Juan Island. The rabbits were introduced to the island in the 1890s by settlers; foxes were introduced occasionally in the 1900s. The European rabbits in particular are considered an invasive species, turning the prairie into an unsustainable barren landscape with their vast burrows. This displaces small native mammals, such as the Townsend's vole. While bald eagles and foxes occasionally hunt rabbits, it is a relatively rare occurrence. Up to 97 percent of an eagle's diet consists of fish and birds; red foxes more commonly eat berries, insects and small mammals, like the vole.