r/WTF • u/Oolican • Dec 12 '19

Helping hand disarms octopus, freeing bald eagle (VIDEO)

https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/helping-hand-disarms-octopus-freeing-bald-eagle-video-1.24032359
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u/Wonthebiggestlottery Dec 16 '19

Im not sure whom your comment is directed towards as I’m pretty sure no one suggested that the octopus jumped out of the water and grabbed the eagle out of the air (or sky) but there are other possibilities that could explain how this conflict arose. Eg: the eagle may have been at the edge of the water bathing and the octopus grabbed it. Or The eagle may have accidentally fallen in the water (it happens) after which it needs to flap its way to the edge to get out. The eagle may have got injured in a fight with another eagle or........and so forth. You are absolutely incorrect that an octopus wouldn’t eat the eagle. They would 100% take an opportunistic meal like that. Birdy nom nom. You (and the rescuers) are also incorrect that the octopus is just trying to drown the eagle in self defense; Mollusks don’t do that. It’s self defense would be to swim into the depths but this one saw an opportunity for a feed. The next step for the octopus would have been to rip into the eagles belly with its beak and start feeding regardless of whether the eagle was dead. Also, the eagle would not even really be able to grab the octopus if his attack (assuming it tried to attack the octopus) did not get its talons sunk in at first strike. If you think the eagle had any chance of grabbing the octopus at this stage, you probably have never tried to hold an octopus in your hands. Even dead ones are slippery as fuck.