Bird’s-Eye View: Amazing Video Shows Eagle Flying From Dubai’s Burj Khalifa [Video]

Ever want to soar like an eagle, viewing incredible sights like the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa? The conservation group Freedom Conservation has created the next best thing.

According to the BBC, to raise awareness of the endangered eagles, the group strapped a mini-camera onto the back of an imperial eagle and let it go from the top of the Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa, which was known as the Burj Dubai before its opening, is the world’s tallest building at 829.8 meters (2,722 feet). It sits right off the coast of the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, one of the richest cities in the world.

Freedom Conservation says the imperial eagle, named Darshan, broke a world record for “the highest recorded bird flight from a man-made structure.”

The Weather Network reports the group’s director, Richard Menzel, explained at a press conference, “We like to think that we do things in an original way.”

“If you want to be successful in conservation, you need to not only be able to re-introduce animals, but you also need to involve the public and create public demand for the presence of birds of prey.”

Certainly, giving the public an eagle’s-eye view of the Burj Khalifa is one way to do that. Still, if the Khalifa doesn’t impress you, the group has a number of other POV eagle videos on their YouTube channel, including Nordic skiing and flying over the desert (see below).

Eagles across the world used to be in serious danger of extinction, and some like the Eastern and Spanish imperial eagle are still vulnerable, but most species have made real comebacks. That in of itself is a powerful message for conservationists as Menzel explained.

“This eagle is a signal that things can change. It was once endangered, but after conservation programmes it is not so endangered.”

One eagle species that has made a massive recovery is the American bald eagle. Even though it is now classified as “least concerned” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the bald eagle is still protected by law and encounters challenges from humans and a changing environment.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, bald eagles have it tough in the wild. One dedicated parent eagle had to stand guard over its two eggs while a blizzard raged on. By the time the storm was over, the bird was so covered that only its beak was visible.

Nevertheless, bald eagles’ real threat doesn’t come from nature; it comes from mankind. Bird watchers could witness the eagle’s commitment because the local wildlife authorities posted a camera at its nest, but a few others wanted an up-close and personal encounter. Luckily the culprits were caught and fined before they harmed the nest.

Not all eagle species receive so much attention, but if Freedom Conservation’s flight off the Burj Khalifa raises enough awareness that might just change.

[Image Credit: Wilerson S Andrade/Flickr]