A driver traveling along a highway in North Carolina experienced a startling incident when a cat carcass reportedly smashed into her windshield after being dropped by a bald eagle.
On Wednesday morning, the woman called 911, explaining that the unusual event occurred on U.S. Route 74 in Swain County, near Bryson City, about 65 miles southwest of Asheville. She recounted how the bald eagle let go of the cat, which then struck the passenger side of her vehicle’s windshield.
It remains uncertain whether the cat fell from the eagle’s grip accidentally or was released deliberately.
“You might not believe this,” the driver told the 911 operator, “but a bald eagle just dropped a cat onto my windshield. It completely shattered it.”
An image shows the aftermath: a shattered windshield caused by the impact of the cat carcass near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina on November 19, 2025.
In response to the driver’s report, the dispatcher assured her, “I do believe you, honestly,” before sharing a lighthearted laugh.
The driver said another person also observed the cat dropping from the sky.
“He’s like, ‘That is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.’ I’m like, ‘Really?’” the driver said.
The dispatcher replied, “Oh my goodness. Let’s see. I’ve heard crazier.”
“Well, that’s terrifying,” the caller responded, prompting more nervous laughter from the dispatcher.
After receiving the driver’s location, the dispatcher said she would send the Highway Patrol to conduct a report.
It is unclear if the cat slipped from the eagle’s talons or was dropped intentionally. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Another question. Is the cat still alive?” the dispatcher asked.
The cat was not alive, and the caller said the cat was on the side of the road rather than inside her vehicle.
“Okay, I have to ask just to make sure,” the dispatcher said.
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s Kendrick Weeks said the cat could have been roadkill grabbed by the eagle.
“But they can take animals the size of a cat,” he said. “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.”
“I do believe you, honestly,” the dispatcher told the driver. ((Photo by: Valerio Ferraro/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images))
Weeks said eagles and other raptors can drop prey for several reasons, including due to a poor grip or if the prey is biting or otherwise struggling and the birds are wanting to prevent injury to themselves.
Prey can also be dropped if a raptor is being harassed by another bird or if the prey becomes too heavy to carry.
Some raptors may also drop prey to kill it, but that tactic is uncommon for bald eagles.
