Just when you think you’ve heard it all, a North Carolina woman told a 911 dispatcher that a bald eagle dropped a cat through her car windshield.
And there are photos.
According to Fox News, the woman told “a dispatcher that a cat carcass had crashed into her windshield along a highway,” and she said a bald eagle dropped it.
The incident occurred on November 19 along U.S. Route 74 in Swain County, near Bryson City, NC, Fox News reported.
People Magazine reported that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol confirmed the bizarre report.
The Woman Told the 911 Dispatcher That the Cat ‘Absolutely Shattered My Windshield’
“You may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield. It absolutely shattered my windshield,” the driver told the 911 operator, according to ABC 11, which obtained a transcript.
“I do believe you, honestly,” the operator replied. “I had a witness who was like, ‘That is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.'”
The woman told the dispatcher that the witness saw the cat drop from the sky, according to Apple Valley News.
“Another question,” the dispatcher asked. “Is the cat still alive?” According to Apple Valley News, the woman told the dispatcher that the cat was along the side of the road, not in her car.
The woman wasn’t injured, but the cat died, ABC 11 reported, sharing a photo that showed the woman’s windshield with a hole smashed into it.
The television station described the woman as “shaken” by the incident.
Bald Eagles Do Take Animals the Size of Cats, a Wildlife Expert Said
A wildlife expert told Apple Valley News that it’s possible for bald eagles to take prey the size of cats.
Kendrick Weeks, Western Wildlife Diversity Program supervisor for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, told the site that it’s also possible the dropped cat was “roadkill” before the eagle snatched it.
“But they can take animals the size of a cat,” he said to Apple Valley News. “It is much harder for them to take a live cat than a dead cat. They usually don’t prey on something they don’t find palatable. And, scavenging is a common behavior in bald eagles.”
He noted that eagles can drop their prey because they have “a poor grip or if the prey is struggling,” and might injure them, the site reported. It’s also possible that the eagle found the cat to be too heavy to continue carrying.
The Bald Eagle Population in North Carolina Plummeted, But Then Had a Resurgence
According to the North Carolina parks system, the bald eagle population plummeted before enjoying a resurgence.
“For more than 200 years, the bald eagle has been a national symbol of the United States. Unfortunately, their populations plummeted during the middle of the 20th century and for decades seeing a bald eagle in North Carolina was a rarity,” the parks’ website says.
“Bald eagles were seriously impacted by eggshell thinning caused by the pesticide DDT and loss of habitat. The bald eagle was placed on the endangered species list in 1978,” the site says.
“DDT was eventually banned in the United States. Conservation efforts for bald eagle populations were supported by local communities, conservation groups, and government agencies. In 2007, bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list,” the website adds.
The website lists a number of North Carolina parks were people might see bald eagles.
This story was originally reported by Men’s Journal on Nov 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.