Michael Fletcher and his brother Neil were hunting grouse in Windy Lake, Ontario when they spotted what appeared to be a bald eagle in the distance.
As they moved in for a closer look, they realized one of the eagle’s talons was caught in a type of claw trap used by fur harvesters.
Michael took off his jacket and they approached the bird. After a few tries they managed to wrap the eagle in the jacket to prevent it from moving.
“Me and my brother just kind of held onto it, and it calmed right down,” he said.
Then they freed its talon from the trap.
Michael had set up his phone to record the rescue. But before releasing the eagle, his brother told him, “We should take a selfie.”
This is the result.
Michael said the eagle’s eyes were remarkable when seen up close.
“There’s something about them,” he said. “And the size of it — the bird is huge.”
“Everybody thinks it’s like the selfie of the year,” Michael told BuzzFeed Canada.
After rescuing the bird, the Fletcher brothers continued hunting for a bit, but never did see a grouse. Michael said he wasn’t disappointed, as bagging a grouse isn’t quite as exciting as rescuing a bald eagle.
