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In an unusual incident on a North Carolina highway, a driver reported to emergency services that her windshield had been shattered by an unexpected object: the carcass of a cat, allegedly dropped from the sky by a bald eagle.
The incident unfolded on a Wednesday morning along U.S. Route 74 in Swain County, close to Bryson City, which is approximately 65 miles southwest of Asheville. The driver contacted 911 to recount the bizarre event, describing how a bald eagle had let go of the cat, causing it to crash into the passenger side of her vehicle’s windshield.
While it remains uncertain whether the cat slipped from the eagle’s grasp or was intentionally released, the woman’s account paints a vivid picture of the surreal highway mishap. “You may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield,” she told the dispatcher during the call. “It absolutely shattered my windshield.”
The aftermath of the incident was a visibly smashed windshield on a car traveling near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, capturing the attention of locals and highlighting the unpredictable nature of wildlife interactions in the region.
A smashed windshield after a cat carcass crashed into the car along a highway near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (AP)
The dispatcher calmly responded, “Okay. I do believe you, honestly,” before laughing.
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.