Video Showing Eagle Snatching Child in Park Outed as Fake
OutdoorHub Reporters 12.20.12
The creators of a video that apparently depicted a golden eagle snatching a toddler in a Quebec park and taking him for a brief ride have admitted that the production was a hoax. Normand Archambault, Loïc Mireault, and Félix Marquis-Poulin, students at Montreal’s Centre NAD (National d’Animation et de Design) pursuing bachelor’s degrees in 3D Animation and Digital Design, were the creative minds behind the short that had social media and news outlets teeming with debate regarding the clip’s authenticity.
A press release by the school reveals that the video was the result of a workshop class that “aims to produce creative projects according to industry production and quality standards while developing team work skills. Hoaxes produced in this class have already garnered attention, amongst others a video of a penguin having escaped the Montreal Biodôme.”
The clip opens up filming a rare eagle sighting in a park in Montreal, Quebec, then becomes terrifying as the eagle snatches up a baby for a few brief seconds. It’s believable because it’s not unheard of for eagles to take animals many times their size, such as a goat or deer. The eagle dropped the frazzled child seconds later as its father rushed to the scene.
It is unclear whether they will get an A on their project, but perhaps 16.8 million Youtube viewers can vouch for them.
httpv://youtu.be/CE0Q904gtMI
