(News taken from BBC)
A video of a golden eagle snatching a child in Canada that has gone viral online was an elaborate hoax aimed at testing the skills of the clipmakers.
The video shows the bird briefly lifting the child in a Montreal park before dropping him unharmed.
Nearly 17 million people have watched the video on YouTube in three days.
But a digital training centre in Montreal later told the BBC that the clip was made by its students as part of a degree course.
Suzanne Guevremont, director of the Centre NAD, said the clip had been produced by four students who "had an idea of making something believable".
The students - who were doing a degree in 3D animation and digital design - had come up with the idea after a brainstorming session, completing the project in seven weeks, she said.
"It's a challenge... they wanted to test their skills," Ms Guevremont said.
She added that the bird and the child seen being snatched were all computer generated imagery (CGI), and the only real things in the video were the park, the boy (after being dropped on the ground) and his father comforting him.
The CGI was dropped into real footage to create the effect.
Some YouTube and Twitter users expressed doubts about the authenticity of the clip soon after it was posted online on 18 December.
Something About Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas. Despite being extirpated from or uncommon in some its former range, the species is still fairly ubiquitous, being present in Eurasia, North America, and parts of Africa. The highest density of nesting Golden Eagles in the world lies in southern Alameda County, California.[citation needed] These birds are dark brown, with lighter golden-brown plumage on their heads and necks.Golden Eagles use their agility and speed combined with extremely powerful talons to snatch up a variety of prey, including rabbits, marmots, ground squirrels, and large mammals such as foxes and young ungulates.[2] They will also eat carrion if live prey is scarce, as well as reptiles. Birds, including large species up to the size of swans and cranes have also been recorded as prey. For centuries, this species has been one of the most highly regarded birds used in falconry, with the Eurasian subspecies having been used to hunt and kill unnatural, dangerous prey such as Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) in some native communities. Due to their hunting prowess, the Golden Eagle is regarded with great mystic reverence in some ancient, tribal cultures.
Golden Eagles maintain territories that may be as large as 155 km2 (60 sq mi). They are monogamous and may remain together for several years or possibly for life. Golden Eagles nest in high places including cliffs, trees, or human structures such as telephone poles. They build huge nests to which they may return for several breeding years. Females lay from one to four eggs, and both parents incubate them for 40 to 45 days. Typically, one or two young survive to fledge in about three months.
